A Promise of Love
by Lady-Rinoa14
Summary: Squall x Rinoa. Squall is a stoic famous actor, while Rinoa is a singer in a bar. Busy with their own careers, and the media interfering with their relationship, is their childhood promise enough to keep them together?
1. Tell Me a Story

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Final Fantasy VIII. They all belong to the wonderful people of Squaresoft/Square Enix.

**A Promise of Love**

**Chapter 1:** **Tell me a Story**

_"Love is an active verb"_

It was a peaceful night in Deling City – peaceful enough that the only noise that came outside of the Caraway Mansion was the passing bus.

"Mommy?" a little girl with raven black hair called out, as she pulled her blanket up to her neck, just when her mother kissed her goodnight and was about to walk to the door.

"Yes, angel?" the woman with shoulder-length and equally dark hair asked as she turned around.

"Please tell me a story, I can't sleep," said the little girl.

Her mother smiled and pulled a chair so she could sit right next to her daughter's bed. "Alright then..."

The little girl snuggled even more under her blanket and focused her gaze on her mother, anticipating what story she will be hearing this time. It was their usual routine to have her mother sit beside her and tell stories that broadened the child's imagination.

The elder woman bent lower so her arms were now resting on the edge of her daughter's bed, and she began her story. "There was once a lovely and cheerful girl who was living a very simple life. It was simple, but she was contented with it. Everything was well with her – her family, her friends. It seemed that nothing was missing. And then, she met this man."

The mother reached her hand to touch the forehead of her daughter and brush away her bangs. She continued, "This man was the total opposite of her. He was always silent, withdrawn, and he didn't have any friends because of that."

"Why was he like that, Mommy?"

"Because he was hurt by the loss of his family."

Julia continued, "When he thought that he knew everything, he started to realize that he was changing and he was falling in love with the lady. But the moment that he admitted his feeling, they discovered that she was a sorceress. The guy promised to protect her even if the whole world would go against her." …

Julia paused.

"Then what happened mommy? Was he able to protect her?" a sleepy Rinoa curiously asked.

Julia gathered her thoughts and continued, "Yes, but a terrible price. The lady lost total control and she asked her lover to kill her. Eager to release her from the pain, he grabbed his sword and pierced her heart. He felt that a huge part of him was taken away. But until that day, he still lived life just how his lady taught him to be and he was forever grateful for that."

When Julia finished her story, she noticed that Rinoa now had her eyes closed. Seeing this, Julia kissed her daughter's forehead and muttered a soft "goodnight".

As Julia approached the door , a sleepy Rinoa asked her mother sleepily, "Mommy? Do you think that I will have my knight? You know, someone who would love me and protect me no matter what?"

Julia smiled at her daughter's question, "Of course angel. Fate brings together people who are really meant to be. And with your beauty and brains, it may not be hard for you to find Mr. Right, right? Now go to sleep now, it's late."

As she left her daughter's room, she was met by her husband George Caraway of the Galbadian Army, outside the door.

"Is she asleep now, Julia?" asked the raven-haired man as he held his wife's hand.

"Yes," she said. "Hey, when do you think should we tell her?"

"When she's old enough to know the truth; that time will come," replied Caraway as he held her hands tightly. "Now, let's go to bed."

Julia smiled and nooded.

As Rinoa heard the room of her door close, she began to drift to her own little dream world. Closing her eyes, she was dreamed about her mother's story and silent wished that she will meet her knight soon.

"My Knight."

kkk

The next day was such a fine day. The sun's rays made its way to Rinoa's window bringing light in her room.

Julia, Rinoa's mother, being a singer, left early for a performance in a bar where she worked. The seven-year old girl was in their garden tending to her roses and lilies.

Her father, Colonel Caraway, was in his office. His reading was distracted when his cellular phone began ringing and Julia's name was registered on the screen. He picked up the receiver and was greeted by a voice that was not his wife's.

"Is this Colonel Caraway?" said a female voice with a tinge of urgency.

"Yes. May I know who this is? And why are you using my wife's phone?"

After a few minutes of listening, the raven-haired Colonel Caraway dropped his phone. His eyes were wide with shock. Not a second more, he dashed out of the room. He went to the garden at the back of their mansion and wordlessly pulled his daughter with him.

"Mommy? You're gonna be alright, right? Please don't leave me. Don't leave us," muttered a teary-eyed Rinoa, who was clinging on to her mother's arm on the hospital bed, soaked in her own blood.

"Don't cry, Angel. Remember that I love you very much and that I would never leave you. I'll always be with you," Julia replied weakly to her crying daughter.

And then she flat lined. The beeping sound of the machine filled the room. The little girl cried hard.

"I'm sorry dear, she's gone," the a female doctor patted her shoulder. And reached for the blanket on the foot of the bed and covered the now-deceased singer.

With tear-stained eyes, Rinoa walked out of the room and saw her father in the corridors of the hospital. He, too, was crying. He had his head down, hand covered his face, and was leaning on the wall opposite the door.

Noticing a presence walk to him, he lifted his head to look at his daughter. Without a word, he walked away, leaving Rinoa standing there alone.

Kkk

**Author's Note:**

Hello! This is Lady-Rinoa14, the same one who used to leave reviews as an unregistered user with the name "lady-rinoa" or "Lady-Rinoa." I finally submitted my first story! Yey! This is my first fic so please do leave comments on how I can make this better.

A big thanks to Leanne Ashley, PasifiKStaR, heartillyangel, Stardust Ray, and to all the others who helped me get started.


	2. The Promise

**Chapter 2: The Promise**

"_Nothing weighs lighter than a promise"_

_~German Proverb_

_Three months after Julia Caraway's death..._

"Rinoa? Your father wishes to speak to you. He's in his office upstairs," said one of the mansion's maids.

"I'll be there in a minute." _What is it now?_ Rinoa said to herself as she set down her shovel, removed the rubber gloves from her hands, and stood up. She faced the flowers that she were tending to and breathed heavily. Smoothing her red dress, she passed through the mansion's glass doors and went to see her father.

In his office, Colonel Caraway, dressed in a collared shirt and slacks, was reading a multi-paged paper behind his desk when a knock was made on the door.

"Come in," said Caraway, never lifting his gaze from the document he was reading.

"You called for me?" A little girl with jet-black hair peeked from behind the enormous wooden door for her size.

"Ah yes, Rinoa dear, get dressed. We're going to an orphanage in Esthar today," said Caraway as he now looked at his daughter.

"Orphanage? What are we going to do there?" asked Rinoa, still rooted on her spot behind the door. Only half of her body can be seen as the other half stayed behind the door – seemingly afraid to enter the huge room.

"I want to send some donations there and I wish to speak to the owners of that place. I've never seen them for a very long time. And wouldn't it be the right time for you to play with other kids as well?" said Caraway as he stood from his seat and approached the little girl.

_I'm not used to making friends anymore__. _"Yeah sure, whatever you say _dad_," she said with much sarcasm and left the room, making her father stop on his tracks.

Later in the afternoon, the Caraways arrived at the two-storey orphanage. As they stepped out of the black, shiny limousine, a woman with long black hair dressed in a gray Sunday dress approached the Colonel.

"Welcome Colonel Caraway," said the woman as she extended her hand for a handshake.

"Hello there, Edea," greeted Caraway and shook the woman's hand. "Everything going well?"

"Oh everything's fine. Cid is really looking forward to your visit! We haven't seen you in years," said the woman called Edea. The smile on her face faded. "I'm sorry we couldn't make it to Julia's funeral. We extend our condolences."

Caraway mirrored the frown. "I understand, Edea. I know that you and Cid have problems of your own. Your condolences are appreciated."

Standing beside her father, Rinoa looked at the woman. She had pale skin complexion and brown eyes. The little girl looked at Edea intently and found it amusing and hurtful at the same time when she noticed the woman's physical resemblance to her mother Julia. _She's so pretty._ Rinoa assumed that the woman whom her father called Edea may be the same age as her mother's.

Rinoa's eyes widened with surprise when the woman turned to her. "Hi there, you must be Rinoa." She held out a hand. "Come, I'm sure the other kids would want to meet with you," she said while holding Rinoa's hand and guided her further inside the orphanage then she turned to Caraway. "Colonel, please join me and my husband for tea. I'll be with you in a minute. He'll be with you in a minute."

"Kids! We have a visitor. Her name is Rinoa. She'll be staying with us for today so play nicely, alright?" said Edea as she placed a hand on Rinoa's back.

They were in a large room with three double-decked beds on each side. Toys were everywhere on the floor, and a number of children looked up to their Matron.

"Umm, hello. My name is Rinoa. Can I join you guys?" she shyly asked, her hands played with each other.

"Sure, why not? By the way, I'm Selphie!" exclaimed a very petite girl with short brown hair, green eyes, and was wearing a yellow dress. She approached Rinoa, eyes beaming as she extended her hand.

_Maybe it's not so bad after all_, Rinoa thought and shook the hand of the girl who just introduced herself as Selphie. _She's a bit smaller than me, _observed Rinoa.

"Oh and that's Irvy." Selphie began, and pointed to the tallest child in the room who wore a muscle shirt and khaki pants. He had a wide, adorable grin.

"Yo!" he said winking at Rinoa.

"Hi." Rinoa waved.

"Then there's Zelly." Selphie pointed to a blonde spiked hair who was sitting on the floor, tying his shoes.

"Hey wuzzup?" said the blonde as he looked up and gave the girls a wave.

"He's the cry baby around,'whispered Selphie to Rinoa, and the latter chuckled.

"Hey! What did you tell her!" Zell looked at Selphie suspiciously.

"Nothing." Selphie placed her hands behind her while she teased. "And that's Quisty," she continued, and pointed to a blonde long-haired girl with blue eyes, who was reading a book on the bed to her their right.

Quistis looked up from what she was reading and smiled at the two. "Hi."

"And that would be Seifer," she pointed to a blonde boy guy with green eyes who sat across Quistis' bed. His elbows rested on his knees, while his cheek lay on his palm, looking extremely bored.

"Yeah sure. Now let's play." The boy named Seifer stood and went to the center of the room, calling the other children's attention. "Let's play hide and seek and I choose Zell as the "it".

"What! Who made you the boss and appoint me as one!" exclaimed Zell angrily at Seifer. The spiky-haired boy stood up.

"Woohoo! Shut up, Chicken Wuss. I'm your boss and when I say you're 'it' then you're 'it'." Seifer placed his hands on his waist and raised his head confidently.

"Won't you quit it? We have a guest here and remember what Matron said? That we should play nicely. Zelly, you be the 'it' just let let it be." Quistis intervened with a commanding tone, sounding like the big sister to all of them.

"Fine then." Zell sighed in defeat. He turned around. "Okay, I'm gonna start counting now! You guys better hide now! 1! 2!"

"Let's go!" Selphie patted Rinoa's shoulder and dashed out of the room, followed by the others.

"Don't get lost, okay?" Irvine said before winking at Rinoa.

Rinoa quietly walked out of the orphanage and gasped at the vast flower field ahead. _Wow,_ she thought. "It's beautiful, mom would have loved this," she muttered sadly.

As she walked on the field filled with green healthy grass with pink and red flowers, silently admiring its beauty, she noticed a boy sitting on the grass, his back facing her, and was looking straight ahead. Judging from the petite size of the boy, she could only guess that he was the same as hers. _A boy? What's he doing here? Why isn't he playing with the others?_Rinoa thought as she approached him.

When she reached the boy, who did not seem to notice her walk to him, Rinoa sat down beside him and hugged her knees. She turned to him to see his face as the wind played with his brown hair. And the first thing that she noticed about him was his penetrating blue eyes.

"Hey," she called out softly. The boy had a distant look on his face, and ignored her. Realizing that maybe he did not hear her, Rinoa called out again.

"Hi, I'm Rinoa. You must be in the orphanage too," Rinoa began, still looking at him while patiently waiting for his response.

At last, the boy responded with a nod. "Squall," he said.

_What?_ Rinoa gave him a confused look.

Noticing his companion's confusion, the boy finally turned to her and said with a monotonous tone of voice, "My name's Squall."

"Oh! So that's your name! So, what are you doing here? Why aren't you playing with the others?" asked Rinoa cheerfully.

"To think," replied Squall as he looked away.

Silence followed between the two of them. Rinoa let him be with her companion's thoughts, but did not leave his side.

After the long silence, Squall heard the girl beside him sniff. He looked at her and saw tears cascade down her cheeks from her chocolate brown eyes. "What's wrong?"

Rinoa instantly wiped off her tears and shook her head. "Nothing. I just remembered my mom. She died three months ago. She really loves flowers. And this flower field reminds me of her."

"I see," said Squall. "At least, you've had the chance to spend time with her. At least you have memories of her that you can keep forever."

"Yeah, you're right. Lots of good memories." Relena smiled sadly, a bit glad that her companion finally spoke to her.

"How about you?" she asked him.

"I never met my parents," answered Squall. "Matron told me that I was just sent here by someone when I was a baby. So I actually do not feel sad or anything when talking about my parents. I don't have any memories of them."

"So you didn't have anyone?"

"There was Sis," he said flatly and looked away.

_Sis? _Rinoa heard the sadness in his voice at the mention of the word. She thought that Squall will not say anything anymore, and was surprised that he did.

"Sis was here to hold my hand when I felt alone and lonely. The others were there for me, too, but Sis was really the one who understood me. But one day, she left. She was adopted by someone. She abandoned us. Abandoned me," said Squall who clenched his hands to a fist, resentment in his voice.

She had not meant for him to be sad. She just wanted to know him. Guilt crept to Rinoa's insides, making her reach out a hand to place on his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. That's the past. Maybe she was also sad when she left."

Rinoa thought that Squall may pull away, but he did not. So she continued, "Don't feel sad. Don't worry, you're not alone. You just need to look around you. Everybody's here. I am here, even if we just met."

Squall stared at her and unconsciously placed his hand on hers that was on his shoulder. "Thank you."

For the first time that day, she saw Squall smile. "You look really cute when you're smiling. You should smile often."

Rinoa returned the smile. And after a while they were talking, laughing, and running across the field.

Moments later, Squall held Rinoa's wrist. "I want to show you something."

Rinoa can only nod as Squall led her to a beach near the orphanage. He sat down on the white sand and motioned for her to do the same. When the little girl had sat down, Squall pointed to the horizon, at the setting sun.

When Rinoa saw it. She gasped, looking amazed. The red-orange sun is now setting and is positioned between two huge mountains. Outlining with red and orange the mountain's shape. And it was being reflected down with the ocean's crystal clear waters.

"Squall, it's beautiful," said Rinoa as she admired the sun slowly descending in between two mountains, painting the sky with orange and purple hues that were also reflected by the sea's crystal clear water.

"Yeah, I used to go here when they go out and play in the flower field. All the emptiness that I feel suddenly goes away."

Rinoa then unconsciously leaned her head on Squall's shoulder,and the sudden contact made Squall flinch. It was the first time someone made contact with him like that, other than their "Sis."

"You're not alone. Don't feel that way," said Rinoa sleepily. "Nobody can predict the future. Who knows? Maybe someday your Sis will come back? You're still young, what are we, seven years old? Life has more in store for us. At least that's what my mom used to tell me."

_No one has ever said something like that to me before, _thought Squall. On second thought, nobody had ever been this close to him since "Sis" left. How can this complete stranger say all of this to him considering that she had just lost her mother? Isn't she also sad that her mother also left her? How can she be this optimistic, still? He was about to question her, but found that she had fallen asleep with her head resting on his shoulder.

Squall then slowly shifted their positions, careful enough not to wake her, before standing up while carrying her on his back to walk back to the orphanage. _It's getting dark, _said to himself, noticing the stars and moon appearing now on the dark sky.

Minutes later, Rinoa stirred and realized where she was... on Squall's back. Sleepily, she said, "Um, Squall? You can put me down now. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"We're almost there. Don't worry about it, okay?"

Before Rinoa can protest, a shooting star flashed across the sky. "Squall, did you see that?" All drowsiness left the dark-haired girl, her eyes wide open.

Squall stopped on his tracks. "Yeah."

"You're supposed to make a wish when you see a shooting star," said Rinoa.

"They're fake. What makes people think that they will have their wishes come true with a star?"

"You just have to believe. There's nothing wrong if you give it a try, right?" Rinoa then pulled away from Squall to stand beside him. She closed her eyes and clasped her hands.

"Whatever." Squall ran a hand along his brown locks as he looked at Rinoa who had just opened her eyes.

"Are you going to come back here?" asked Squall.

Rinoa darted her eyes to the ground, while her foot made invisible circles on the grass. "I don't know. My dad makes all the decisions, so I can't tell." She turned to face him with a smile. "But I have a feeling that we'll see each other again."

Squall returned the smile. "Then I will wait for you here. Whenever you feel alone, I'll be here. I promise you that."

"I promise, too, Squall. We'll see each other again. Until that day, I won't forget you." She held outa pinky finger. "Pinky swear!"

Hesitantly, Squall intertwined his pinky hand with hers. "It's a promise."


	3. Angel and Lion

**Chapter 3: Angel and Lion**

_**"Don't go searching for love. Let it find you~"**_

_10 years later..._

It was a fine day sunny day in Balamb City. The city was alive with some people actively opening their shops and others walked and drove through the streets to their work. It was always this lively in Balamb. However, the busy level of the people seemed to have increased on this particular day with the arrival of someone.

Almost every woman in the city was in high spirits for the arrival of this certain person. All except one. And that was Rinoa Heartilly.

_Flashback -7 months ago:_

"_Rinoa! I am not tolerating this!" yelled a very angry General Caraway as he raised a finger at his daughter who was standing by the door._

"_I'm not taking any more of your orders General Caraway! I am so sick of this life!" a 17-year old Rinoa shouted back, while carrying her luggages in both hands. _

"_I am leaving! Don't bother looking for me. I'm 17 now and I can take care of myself!" continued Rinoa as she forcefully pried open the door and headed towards the tall black gate of their house._

"_Rinoa Caraway! Come back here right now!" yelled her father but it was already too late. She was had already called for a cab and hurriedly shoved her belongings inside before sliding inside and not giving her father a second look._

Rinoa Heartilly changed her last name from Caraway to Heartilly five months ago when she had left Deling City. Her father then had been promoted from Colonel to General but it did not change anything between them. She moved to Balamb City to live on her own. She met a woman who was around the same age as hers named Aya, who was a long-haired blonde with emerald green eyes. She worked as a part-time writer and also a bartender in a bar near the house that Rinoa bought with her savings.

Realizing that Rinoa was the daughter of the late famous Julia Heartilly, the blonde quickly offered Rinoa to sing in their bar promising that she would be paid well.

It did not take long until Rinoa's name became well-known in Balamb, making her a local celebrity. Her beautiful face accentuated with her beautiful, melodious voice earned her the title of "Angel" among the city folks as she sang in various bars and hotels in the city.

Rinoa was sitting on the couch of her living room, leaning a bit to scribble a few words on her pad, writing songs. She was very focused in writing until she heard a knock on the door. She stood up and was greeted by her best friend in Balamb.

"Rinny! I'm so happy!"screamed a very excited Aya.

A bit surprised and delighted to see her friend so excited, Rinoa asked, "What happened?" She motioned for her friend to enter and Aya walked in jumping with glee, a huge smile plastered on her face. She sat on Rinoa's couch and giggled.

"He's here! He's coming!" said Aya.

"Wait, wait. Who's he?"Rinoa sat down next to her friend, a confused look on her face.

"Leo! Leo! The hottest young actor today! He'll be coming back here in Balamb to stay in Balamb garden after shooting his next movie. Don't tell me you've never heard of him! He's all over the media! And I get the chance to interview him for the media company I've been working part-time in!"

"Leo? Leo what? I've never heard of him." Rinoa shook her head. "Wait a minute. You said that he's gonna stay at Balamb Garden? But isn't that the..?"

Before she could finish, Aya cut her off. "The mercenary school where they train SeeDs, I know. As a part-time journalist, I know that he's a top-ranking SeeD before he joined the world of showbiz. And as for your other question, nobody actually knows his name, only his close friends at Garden know his real name. Leo is just his screen name."

"So, you came all the way here just to tell me that the hottest guy in the world is coming?" Rinoa raised an eyebrow.

Aya smiled, "I want to ask you to come with me when we interview him a few days from now! I have two passes for this opportunity!"

"Well, I'd love to but I have to talk to the hotel manager of Balamb Hotel because they asked me to sing on their 25th year anniversary I think. And besides, I don't even know the guy," replied Rinoa.

"I can't believe you, Rin. Every girl in the world's falling for him but _you_ don't even know him!"

"Call me crazy but I don't. And I really don't care about showbiz anyway."

"Well, he's just the one who was recently featured on the Timber Maniacs Magazine as one of the most eligible bachelors out there. But you know what? Some people who have worked with Leo say that he's actually cold off-cam. He doesn't talk to anyone. I wonder why," remarked Aya.

"Well, that's showbiz. People tend to look happy on air but when the camera's out, they're depressed. Works everytime. So when is he arriving?" Rinoa asked.

Aya checked her watch and it read 11:15 a.m. "Oh my God! He'll be arriving at 11:30! Sorry, got to go Rin! I'll see you later!"She gave her friend a hug before leaving.

_Now that's weird._Rinoa thought. _I have to be at the hotel by 3 p.m. Might as well take a shower now._

_~o~_

"Mr. Leonhart, were getting close," said the chauffer of a black limousine.

_Great. Now the Garden is jam-packed full of those reporters_, Leo thought.

_**11:30 am**__:_

In front of a vast school campus of Balamb Garden, a black limo parked in front of the tall steel gates. And dozens of reporters with their camera men surrounded the vehicle as they waited for the famed actor to alight.

Leo, also known as, the Lion stepped out. He was wearing a white shirt with a black leather jacket on top, and black leather pants that had two to three belts attached to it in a criss-cross manner. His brown hair hung over his eyes that were covered in. His silver necklace with a face of a lion as a pendant reflected the light of the sun.

As he stepped out the limo, six to eight younger SeeDs were already there, dressed in their all-black uniform with golden chains designed at the shoulders and around the neck. They assisted in blocking the barrage of reporters as Leo entered the now-opened gates of the school.

"_Leo, what do you have to say about the issue of you and your leading lady in one of your movies?", __"Is Leo really your real name?"__, __"Mr. Leo, why did you choose to be an actor while being a SeeD?" _those some of the questions that Leo heard as he made his way into the campus while putting up a half-smile and waved at the press in the process, avoiding to answer the questions all the while trying to maintain his composure. As Leo reached the entrance, he quickly went in with the other SeeDs, who closed the gates.

"Squaaaaaaaaall!" exclaimed a bouncing girl who was wearing a yellow dress and looked about the same age as his. She had emerald green eyes and her wavy hair had a darker shade of brown than his.

"It's nice to see you Squall!" the girl said as she stood in front of the actor and beamed.

"Yo Squall!" Someone called behind the girl. They were then joined by two others. The first one was a blonde with spiky hair, who had a tattoo on the left side of his face. The other one was the tallest among them. He had his long brown hair in a ponytail, and was wearing a long white trench coat and a cowboy hat.

"It's nice to see all of you again," said Leo as he regarded his companions.

Squall Leonhart, also known in the outside world as Leo, as given by his agency because of his strength and pride that lions also possess during his days in the mercenary school. Before being called the "Lion", he was also known as "the lone wolf" for his anti-social demeanor.

He entered Garden when he was eight years old and became a top-ranking SeeD at the age of 16.

Months later after becoming a top-ranking SeeD, he was offered by a talent agency to be in the show business because of his extremely good looks and work ethics. He rejected the offer at first, but the agency did not stop at that and even sought the permission of Balamb Garden's headmaster, Cid Kramer. It was Cid who finally convinced Squall that entering the show business may not be a bad idea and it may give him a boost on being a social being.

After starring in two blockbuster films, he became wildly famous to girls and boys alike. The women loved him for his good looks and the men admired his cool side. Everybody looked up to him. He was perfection personified. Even the insiders in the industry admired his extraordinary work ethics and stellar acting performances. He surely did not disappoint. But even as an actor, he was given breaks to still perform his SeeD duties. And now, after shooting his upcoming movie, he was given a break to return to Balamb Garden.

"So Squall, how's it going?" asked Zell, the blonde with the tattoo.

"Tired," was Squall's reply as he ran a hand through his brown locks.

"Squall! You're back! It's really nice to see you. You like you've not been sleeping for days," a woman with long blond hair and blue eyes came in.

_Thanks for noticing,_Squall thought.

"Look, we'll talk about all of your 'adventures' later, okay? But right now, headmaster wants to see you," the blonde woman said.

"Thanks," he said and started to walk away from the group. "I'll see you guys later."

In the Headmaster's Office.

"Ah Squall! Glad you're back!" said the man that looked that he was in his 50's with his small spectacles on.

"It's nice to be back." Squall replied, saluting to his superior.

"How's it going, son? We were planning on setting up a party for you but we thought that you might not want it though," said Cid.

"It's alright, Sir."

"Don't be so formal, Squall." The older man shook his head. "Well, I just want to know how you're doing right now. And I wanna tell you that you will have no missions for now."

"Thank you, Sir. Everything's alright. I'm fine."

"That's good to know." Cid nodded. "Enjoy your stay and take care. Dismissed."

As Squall exited the headmaster's room, his two friends from earlier came to meet him.

"Yo, Squall. So we've been thinking. We'd want to celebrate your comeback here at Garden. And what do you say we go bar hopping tonight?" Irvine, the cowboy, said.

_I need rest._Squall thought and shrugged.

"Guess that's a yes then," said Zell. "Silence means no!"

_Give me a break._

Squall pressed his palm on his forehead. _Oh well. _He bid his friends goodbye and promised that he will meet them later in the evening after he had taken a nap in dormitory room.

Ring. Ring.

_The hell!_ Squall thought angrily as his cellphone interrupted his slumber. It was already 3 p.m.

_Oh shit!_ It was his reminder alarm clock. He hastily got up, took a quick shower, and dressed casually with a button up shirt and jeans, trying not to look as a stand out in the crowd as much as possible. He was reminded then and there that he had to go to the Balamb City Hotel at 4 p.m. to speak with the hotel manager because he was invited as a celebrity to join them on their anniversary.

Putting his sunglasses on, he decided that he will just walk to the hotel, confident enough that he will not be spotted. _It's been a while since I last had a walk outside._

On the other side of the city, Rinoa was walking down the streets. As she got closer to the Balamb Hotel, she saw a huge poster of a male celebrity plastered o the fences near the hotel. Rinoa avoided looking at it but something drew her eyes on the poster's direction.

_What the…?_Rinoa glanced on the poster and took in the features of the man in it. He was handsome, tall and was wearing a black leather jacket that gave him an image of a bad boy. And beneath the picture was a label that said "Special Guest Leo at Balamb Hotel's Anniversary".

_So, this is him. _Rinoa didn't realize that she was staring at the poster for a long time now. At the poster, Leo didn't wear his shades, which made Rinoa stare at his piercing steel-blue eyes.

_Oh great, I'm gonna be late_, she thought, finally drawing her eyes away from the poster and headed towards the hotel.

~o~

"Thanks Ms. Heartilly, it would be held next week, alright?" said the hotel manager as he walked Rinoa to the entrance of the hotel.

"Yes, I'll be there."

Rinoa then bid the hotel manager farewell, as she exited the hotel's glass door, a male brunette entered.

As Squall entered the hotel, he stopped in his tracks. _What the? _His feet automatically moved and scrambled outside the hotel where he found himself searching for the direction in which the girl who just exited went.

But as he went outside, the girl with the jet black hair was out of sight.

_Get real,_he said to himself.

**Author's note:**

Finally chapter 3! I was really feeling inspired today so I wrote this. Please review. Tell me all your comments and suggestions.

Thank You Corner:

**Stardust Ray** – Thanks for the reviews. I'll just base their encounters on coincidence for now.

**Leonhartilly**- Yeah you're right. I'm working on it.

**CandySweet** – Thanks! Here's the update now!

**Leanne Ashley**- Thanks for noticing. I'll work on it.

**heartillyangel**- Don't worry, the promise is real. :)

**Angel of Apocalypse**- Thank you. And don't be frustrated, things like that happen to me too. Hehe . Life has its ups and downs.. Ü


	4. Angel

**"The past is like our shadows. It is always behind us. But the moment when the light is gone. You always wonder where it is"**

**Chapter 4:** **Angel**

Squall's appointment with the Balamb City Hotel manager was now done. He hurriedly went back to Balamb Garden. But something was just feeling different.

_That girl. I barely noticed her. But my body … It just moved automatically… I didn't even see her face!_

Squall erased those thoughts from his head and checked out his wristwatch. It read 4:30 pm.

_It's still early. I'll just go around the city for a while.._

_Wow, I didn't realize that I've been gone from Balamb for almost 2 months_, he thought.

_Sheesh, it's almost 6 pm and Zell told me that we'll go to a bar later. Got to hurry_. And Squall ran back towards Garden.

Squall entered Garden, he was met by Selphie, Quistis, Irvine and Zell.

"Squall, come on. We don't want to be late on the bar tonight. We've made our reservations there 'cause we've been told that one of the most beautiful and talented singer in the city's going to sing there", Irvine said.

"Yeah Squall and we might miss her performance. Let's go." Selphie insisted.

_I really want to rest! _Squall's mind screamed.

"Fine. You all go on ahead. I'll catch up with you guys." He said plainly.

"No, we would all go together. And besides, we planned this for you." Quistis said.

"I said I'll catch up soon, alright? I'll be there. Just go on ahead". Squall offered.

"Fine man. But we'll wait for you, alright? We'll be drinking and stuff. Come on. Let's go guys. It's at the bar near the flower shop! Don't forget!", Zell said.

_Great. _And Squall headed for his dorm room to rest for a while.

Meanwhile, at Rinoa's house……

"Rinny, you look great!" Aya said while looking at her friend. She was wearing a sleeve-less red dress that flows down up to her legs. It was a simple dress but Rinoa looked really elegant with it.

"Hurry up or you'll be late. Besides, I know that you're excited 'cause he's coming, right?" Aya looked at her friend with malicious eyes.

"Fine. Come on, let's go", Rinoa said and they both left for the bar.

"Where is he?" Zell said for the millionth time.

"Don't worry, he'll come around", said Quistis.

They were all seated on a table directly in front of the stage of the bar. Their table was already full of foods and drinks. Everything was set and incomplete but someone else' still missing … Squall..

"Yeah but.. he's ……….." Zell was cut-off with all the people screaming as the singer stepped into the stage.

"Now, looky here. What a beautiful lady," Irvine whispered and was elbowed by Selphie to silence him.

Rinoa stepped on to the stage and waited for the piano to play.

The piano started and she sang…

Her voice was enchanting. It caught everybody's attention. She was really talented. Her voice was in harmony with the music of the piano.

While singing, she noticed the four people seated in front of the stage that she was standing on.

_Who are they? They all look familiar. Wait Rinoa! Concentrate!_

When her song came to an end, everybody cheered. Rinoa took a bow and held the microphone in her right hand.

"I want to say thank you to all of you for giving me the chance to sing here tonight but unfortunately, that is the only song that I will sing tonight because I've go to go somewhere else. Once again, thank you and enjoy your night." Rinoa said and everybody applauded. She slowly exited the platform and headed towards the exit.

_Too bad Squall didn't see her performance_. Zell thought. Come to think of it. Where is he?

_Finally!_ Squall thought as he parked his black Alpha Romeo in front of the bar.

Stepping out of the car wearing his usual brown jacket and shades he walked towards the entrance of the bar.

He was about to enter but he stopped. He saw a man at about 15 feet away from him. He cannot see his face because the man's back was facing him. The man was a little bit taller than him who was wearing a gray trench coat. He had blonde hair and Squall estimated that they had the same age. He could tell that the man was waiting for someone.

_Who cares?_ He thought. diverting his eyes from the man, he entered the bar.

"Rinoa! There you are!" Seifer said when he saw Rinoa exiting the bar from the back door.

"Ow, sorry about that. Did you wait for a long time?" Rinoa asked as she came up to him.

"Hmm, almost. Now, come on. Let's go." Seifer offered.

"Yeah sure," and they both rode on to Seifer's car and drove off to somewhere.

"Squall! There you are man!" Zell said as Squall walked on to them.

"Whatever" Squall said folding his arms to his chest and sat down beside Quistis.

"Too bad Squall. You didn't see Angel perform. She was pretty man." Irvine smiled while handing Squall a drink.

"Whatever" Squall replied. Since he's an actor, he worked with lots of pretty and sexy girls who were begging for his affection. Unfortunately, he never was interested in them.

"Come on Squall. Let's just enjoy tonight, huh?" Selphie said.

Squall nodded and they partied the whole night.

Author's note:

I know that the chapter is lame and nothing much is found here. I'm really tensed today 'cause I've got lots of reports to do. So, tell me what you think.

Comments and Suggestions are really open.

Thanks to all of those who reviewed…

**Angel of Apocalypse, Stardust Ray, heartillyangel, leonhartilly and AngelSorceress.**

Thanks also to **Cath C**, thanks for your e-mail with all of those critiques. I want to know what you think of this one. Ü

I'm gonna update only on weekends I think 'cause I'm really busy with school right now.

Take care everyone!.. ÜÜÜ


	5. Introducing

"**_People search the whole world to find what they need. And returns home finding it"_**

**Chapter 5: Introducing**

_Ring. Ring._

_What the! It's 5:30 in the morning! Who would be calling at such a time!_

Rinoa reached out her cellphone and found Seifer calling her.

"Hello?" Rinoa said with an irritated voice.

"Hey Rin. So, are we going tonight?" Seifer asked.

"Yeah sure. I'll meet you later, alright?" Rinoa replied.

"Hey wait. You mad or something?" Seifer asked.

"No, it's just that it's 5:30 in the morning Seifer." Rinoa argued.

"Oh, is that how you speak to me on my last day here in Balamb?" Seifer said sarcastically.

"No, it's not that. Oh fine then. We'll meet later." Rinoa finally said.

"See you then." And Seifer hung up.

_Okay. Now, what to do?_ She thought.

Rinoa knew Seifer for a year now. They met when Seifer came in the bar where she was singing. They got close and Seifer even courted her but she refused. But still now, they still remain as friends. Rinoa got close to him because she felt something familiar about him.

Seifer will be leaving Balamb for now to head to Galbadia. After failing the SeeD test in Balamb Garden, Seifer wishes to take his chance in Galbadia as a soldier. And today would be his last day in Balamb for now.

Putting her cellphone down on her bedside table. She lied down on her bed once more and dreamed again.

After a few hours…

_Ring. Ring._

Rinoa's cellphone began to ring again. She first looked at the wall clock in front of her and it read 9:07. She moved her eyes on the screen of her phone and saw that the number was not registered on her phone. And so, she answered it.

"Hello?" Rinoa said.

"_Is this Miss Rinoa Heartilly also known as Angel?" _asked a man with a young but deep voice.

"Yes, this is Angel speaking. Who might this be and how did you get my number?" Rinoa asked feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Ah yes. How rude of me. My name is James Brian and I'm the director and in charge of the music of Leo's upcoming movie. And about your number, well I have my sources Miss Heartilly and I've been told that you're a very talented singer in Balamb." The man replied.

_James Brian! The famed director is calling me! _Rinoa can't believe it!

"Okay. Umm, what can I do for you? And please call me Rinoa" Rinoa offered, still feeling flattered.

"Well, as I said. I want to ask you a favor _Rinoa_. It's about Leo's movie. Could you drop by my office here in Balamb? It's right across the flower shop, on the 7th floor." James asked.

"Sure. The flower shop? I work there." Rinoa said.

"You also work at a flower shop? While singing?" James asked.

"Yes. I work there every afternoon and then I sing in bars at night. So, what time should I go there?"

"Whenever you're free. What time would you be available?"

"Right now I think." Rinoa looked over her ceiling clock.

"Ah yes. Alright. See you then Angel. Sorry if I disturbed you." And with that James ended the call.

_Now, this is interesting._ Rinoa thought. _Better get dressed._

In Balamb Garden…

Ring. Ring.

Squall's deep slumber was disturbed by the ringing of his cellphone.

_What the..! Who would be calling at a time like this! _Squall_ thought._

Sitting right up on his bed. He realized that he was still wearing the clothes he wore last night. With his phone still ringing in his hand he quickly answered the call.

"Yes?" Squall said impatiently.

"_Leo? Ah yes. Could you drop by my office? I want to talk to you about your upcoming movie. Your manager Kiros and I had a little chat yesterday and we've decided that after your vacation in Balamb we'll have to start on new projects." _The man on the other line said.

"What? Maybe later. I'm still sleeping!" Squall said angrily.

"_It's 9:30 in the morning Leo. Don't tell me that you're still sleeping_." His director said.

"Mr. James, I have a headache right now and I need rest."

"Okay then. Just drop by anytime, alright?" And James ended the call.

"Great." Squall muttered sarcastically.

_Shit! _Squall clutched his head with his both hands.

Last night at the bar, Squall just sat on his chair drinking while Zell and the others were asking him to dance.

Selphie, Zell, Irvine and Quistis actually were the only ones who had partied themselves to the limit. And they ended up drunk and dizzy.

Squall just drank a few wine to keep himself focused while driving. Even though he just sat the whole night, deep down he was really thankful that he had these so-called friends of his to keep him company.

But still, his head still hurt because of lack of sleep and especially with all the wine that he drinked.

_Might as well go there._ Squall took a painkiller from his bedside table and gulped it down.

I need a ride. And with that, Squall took his cellphone and dialed a number.

On the other side of Balamb…

Rinoa was walking towards the building near the flower shop. She was now just a couple of blocks away. She was now in the middle of the street but heard a sound of a motorcycle. She stopped on her tracks and looked towards the direction of the screeching sound and saw a black motorcycle driving fast towards her.

She was about to run but it was too late….

Screech…………

Huh? I'm still …alive? Rinoa opened her eyes. At first, her vision was blurry. When she saw the motorcycle heading towards her and realized that it was too late to run. She just closed her eyes.

Rinoa was now lying on the street. Ouch! My arm! She saw that her arm had a deep gash on it.

"Miss, are you alright?" Rinoa couldn't clearly see the man who was standing right in front of her.

"Yes. I think." She replied softly.

When Rinoa finally cleared her vision. She saw a young man, almost likely at the same age as her, who had a very handsome face with green eyes and spiky blonde hair.

The man offered his hand to her as he helped her to her feet. When Rinoa regained her balance, she noticed that the man was staring at her. And she shot him a quizzical look.

"I'm sorry about that miss. Hey, you're not alright." He said as he pointed at Rinoa's arm.

"It's no big deal." She said.

"No." And with that he pulled out his blue handkerchief from his pocket and tied it on Rinoa's arm just to stop the bleeding.

"There". He said as he finished wrapping it on her arm.

"I'm sorry about that miss. I'm in a hurry 'cause my friend just called me this morning to let me lend him my motorcycle since his car isn't available right now and I know that he has tight schedules so I drove up with that speed." The man explained.

"It's okay. Just be careful next time, alright? People could get hurt." Rinoa said.

"So, where are you headed?" The man asked. "I could take you there."

"No need. Thanks anyway." Rinoa replied.

"Are you sure?" The man insisted.

"Yes. Besides, I'm headed to a building not too far from here" And with that, Rinoa started walking away from him.

The young handsome man was about to drive off when his eye caught a glimpse of a silver chain. He picked it up and held it up in front of him for a better view. It was a silver necklace with a ring as its pendant.

It must be hers. Oh well. Might as well hold unto it for a while. He thought and drove off.

In Balamb Garden's parking lot, the gates were open and Squall was waiting for his friend.

Finally, he heard the sound of a motorcycle approaching.

Finally! He's here.

"Yo Squall!" the man with green eyes and blonde hair yelled when he already parked his motorcycle.

"Yeah. Thanks for dropping by, Cloud" said Squall as they both shook each others hands.

Cloud was once a SeeD in Balamb Garden but he quitted the mercenary because his parents had wanted him to be a successful businessman and asked him to quit being a SeeD to handle their family's business. And their family was really powerful in the showbiz world.

"It's been a while now." Cloud said.

"What took you so long?" Squall asked.

"I almost ran over this pretty girl earlier. She was a bit stubborn though. I offered her a ride but insisted to walk over there with a gash on her arm. I even let her keep my favorite blue handkerchief!" Cloud said with a smile.

"She also said that she was on her way to……"

Squall looked at him curiously.

"Wait. You said that at the phone earlier that you were headed to the building near the flower shop right?" Cloud busted out.

"Yeah. Why?" Squall said in a monotone voice.

"The girl mentioned to me earlier that … Oh never mind." Cloud said and took out the necklace that he saw on the street.

"Hold it for a while, alright? This is the girl's necklace, it must have fell off when I ran into her. Could you please hold it for a while?" Cloud asked.

"Yeah, whatever." Squall took the necklace from his friend's hand and walked over to the motorcycle.

"Be going now," Squall said.

"Yeah, and the headmaster told me earlier on the phone that I can stay here for as long as I like"

Squall nodded and drove off.

**Author's note:**

**Okay, this chapter just introduced Cloud. Ü He just crossed my mind just now so I decided to include him here.**

**I'll be updating again next week 'cause I'm really busy in school right now. I have this reports on Jainism and Sikhism which I'm not really familiar with.. (**

**And don't worry, Rinoa and Squall will be meeting each other on the next chapter.**

**Also, thanks to all of those who reviewed!**

**Stardust Ray- School days are really frustrating. But it's fun 'cause I'm in charge of all the parties. Hehe . Ü**

**Leonhartilly- About Squall partying was answered in this chappie. Ü**

**Ayato- Thanks fro reviewing!Ü **

**Ceres81- Thanks also for reviewing. Ü**

**Heartillyangel- thanks a bunch. Ü**

**AngelSorceress- Don't worry, they'll meet at the next chapter. Ü**

**Again, thanks to all of you!.. Ü Take Care people!.. Pray always!. Ü**


	6. Serendipity

**"Serendipity is often defined as a fortunate coincidence or a happy accident"**

**Chapter 6: Serendipity**

Rinoa reached the building and stood at the front of the automatic glass door. She noticed that it must have at least 18 floors. Not waiting a moment more, she entered the building.

When she entered the building, a middle-aged woman greeted her on the counter.

"Yes miss? Where are you headed?" asked the woman.

"Umm, to the office of Mr. Brian?" Rinoa replied.

"Ah yes. He's office is at the 7th floor, first door on your left," the woman said with a smile.

"Thanks" and Rinoa entered the elevator.

_Ding!_

The elevator reached the 7th floor and saw the first door on her right. She carefully knocked on the door 3 times.

"Come in" said the voice coming from inside.

Rinoa stepped in and she saw the huge room. It was painted blue, her favorite color. There were lots of vases of flowers from each corner of the room. The room was full of entertainment merchandise like stereos and television.

"Miss Heartilly? Please take a seat." She heard the man seated on his large chair behind his desk and she did as she was told.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir. You wanted to see me?" Rinoa asked politely.

"Ah! Call me James! Besides I'm just a bit older than you, I think. It's also my pleasure to meet the well-known Angel of Balamb." He said with a smile.

James Brian was a man in his 30's. He had short black hair, brown eyes with a fair complexion. He was a famed director and also directed most of Leo's movies.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about this upcoming project we have for Leo," he began. "We were planning an action romance story for his next movie and of course we would need a wonderful soundtrack for that." He looked at Rinoa to see any reaction but she remained silent.

He continued, "So, we would like to ask you to sing the soundtrack of his movie. The setting of the movie would be shot here in Balamb and so we thought we should ask a singer here in Balamb. What do you say?"

Rinoa took in all his words and was really speechless. The famous director was now asking her to sing for a movie of his.

"Of course." She said plainly.

"That'd be great! Thank you Miss Heartilly. We would like to start the recording soon. We'll just inform you, okay?" He said happily.

"Yes, sure." Rinoa said. "I'll be going now, 'cause I need to prepare for the Balamb Hotel's anniversary."

"Sure, it was nice meeting you Angel. See you then." He shook her hand. And Rinoa left.

_Wow! I can't believe I'm doing this._ Rinoa still can't believe it. Without shaking those thought out of her head, she pressed the down button and waited for the elevator.

_Ding!_

Squall entered the building and hurried off to the elevator. When he got in, he pressed the 7th button and waited.

_Ding!_

The elevator's finally at the 7th floor and its doors opened. When she got in, it was empty. She pressed the ground floor button and as the doors were almost closing, she heard a loud 'ding' that came from the elevator in front & across of her. As her doors were closing, she glanced at the person emerging from it. Before Rinoa could recognize who it was, the doors were already closed.

When Rinoa exited the building. She caught sight of the motorcycle parked right in front of the building. _It looks like the motorcycleof that man!_ Rinoa quickly noticed that the man's handkerchief was still on her arm.

_Maybe it's his? So, that means he's here?_ Rinoa thought.

Unsure of what to do, she took off the handkerchief from her arm and noticed that her right arm was not bleeding anymore.

Reluctantly, she tied it at the left handle of the motorcycle.

_If I'm sure that this is his. I have to return his handkerchief. _And with that, she left to get ready for the anniversary of the Balamb city hotel.

When Squall got out of the elevator, he also noticed someone right across him. But he was too late to identify who it was because the door of the elevator was already closed.

Squall now entered the office of his director.

"Leo! You're here finally!" exclaimed James.

"Whatever" Squall replied plainly, sitting on the chair Rinoa sat on earlier.

"Oh come on Leo, is that all you can say? I'm just so happy to tell you about your upcoming movie," James began.

_I thought I came here in Balamb to rest not to work on some movie._ Squall thought slightly irritated.

"Okay, it'd be different this time, alright? This time, it would be an action love story. And you're to be paired with Tiffany. To make the trailer and promotions a blast, we asked Angel to sing the soundtrack of it. Surely you know about Angel?" James asked.

_Angel? Wasn't she the one that Zell and the others watched in the bar perform last night?_

"Yes, I've heard about her but haven't seen her," Squall replied.

"Oh, you'll see her alright." James said, smiling.

"Listen, I got to go now. I've got to prepare." Squall said.

"Sure, Leo. We'll talk later, okay? Try to lighten up. You need that." James said.

"Whatever."

When Squall exited the building, he walked over to Cloud's motorcycle and caught a glimpse of a handkerchief tied to its handle.

Squall didn't remember tying one but his thoughts drifted back to his 'conversation' with Cloud.

_"She was a bit stubborn though. I asked her to let me drive her to where she was headed but she insisted on walking with a gash on her arm. I even let her go with my favorite handkerchief…"_

"Whatever," Squall put the handkerchief in his pocket and drove off.

Squall arrived at Balamb Garden. He parked the motorcycle on the parking lot and decided to look for Cloud.

He walked around and saw Cloud eating in the Cafeteria.

"Squall! So, how did it go?" Cloud said in between mouthfuls.

"The same… Here" he handed Cloud his handkerchief with a little presence of blood.

"It's… You've seen her?" Cloud asked.

"No, it was tied at the motorcycle when I saw it" Squall replied.

"Oh" Cloud put in his pocket and asked Squall if he would like to eat.

"No, got to get ready." And he left for his dormitory…

_Later that night…At the Balamb city hotel…_

"Ladies and gentlemen. We are all gathered here today to celebrate the Balamb city hotel's 25th year anniversary. For years, we have served you with our best services. And today, let's start with our celebration with our special guest… Angel!" the emcee exclaimed and everybody applauded.

Rinoa walked over to the platform and began to grasp the microphone as she waited for the band to play. As the music started to fill the room, she began singing with her angelic voice.

Squall just arrived and parked his car in front of the hotel and hurried to the Crystal Ballroom of the hotel where the celebration's being held. When he entered the room, he became paralyzed in his spot as a sweet voice filled his ears.

He scanned the room and found everyone sitting silently in the dark. The lights were turned off and only a spotlight was on, pointing at the platform. All of their eyes were focused in front where the platform is. Squall followed their gazes and he could've sworn that he as looking at an angel.

Squall saw a girl singing. The source of this angelic voice that he was hearing. He was staring at her as thought it was his first time to see someone singing. She was wearing a white dress that reached up to her legs that shaped her figure perfectly. Her hair was a jet-black long with a bit brown-yellow highlights on the sides that dropped just passed her shoulders. She was beautiful. After a while, he noticed the girl staring at his direction.

_Who is she?_ Squall thought.

Rinoa was now nearing the end of her song when she noticed someone enter the room. It was dark but she didn't take off her eyes from that direction. She couldn't clearly see the person who entered she just saw his silhouette.

Finally ending her song, the lights were now again lighted and everybody applauded.

Rinoa finally saw who it was she was looking at. He was wearing a black tuxedo that really captures his muscular built. He has brown hair and deep blue eyes. Rinoa then realized that he too was staring back at her.

Noticing that she was still standing on the platform, she exited the stage and was greeted by people.

Squall lost sight of the angel who was singing earlier and too was also greeted by the other guests.

_I hate parties like this. They're all annoying. Asking me all the same questions. Why can't they just leave me alone? And that girl, I think I met her. But when? Where? Who is she!_ Squall's mind was flooded with questions.

His question was answered when the emcee came into the stage and took the microphone in his hand.

"Ladies and gentlemen, that wonderful performance was by Angel and she'll be here celebrating with us together with the renowned actor Leo!" and everybody applauded with joy. "Well everybody, let's eat!"

_So, she's Angel._ Squall thought.

Squall still stood at that corner while waiting for the whole party to finish. As everybody was eating, he walked over to the balcony.

Upon reaching it, he noticed that it wasn't empty. The angel who was singing earlier was there as well. He walked over to the railing and rested his arms on it.

Hearing footsteps behind her, Rinoa didn't turn around to see who it was. But instead the person stood right beside her.

Rinoa looked over to her right and she saw Leo standing right beside her. She stared at him for a long while now and felt an unknown feeling reach her.

"You gonna stare all day?" Squall said in a monotone voice.

"I'm sorry," Rinoa tore off her gaze from his face and into the distance, feeling embarrassed off her actions.

_Now, he thinks I'm one of those girls who have an interest on him. Now say something, _Rinoa thought.

The cool wind breeze blew harder and Rinoa found it hard to prevent herself from shivering.

Squall noticed this and asked looking at her, "You cold?"

Rinoa looked up to him and smiled, "Yeah, but it's alright".

"Umm, what are you doing here?" Rinoa asked. Thinking of starting a conversation.

"What?" Squall said unconsciously.

"What are you doing here?" She repeated. "I mean, almost everybody came here to just to see you and then you don't show up to them."

_Why does she care? _"Don't like the attention. And you?" Squall asked curiously, wondering why he even replied to her.

Rinoa smiled. "Yep, me too. Same reason as yours. And I want to see the stars. They're beautiful aren't they?" She looked at him and smiled playfully.

Squall was drawn to her smile. She looked even more beautiful when she smiles.

"Whatever" he replied.

"Are you always like that?" Rinoa asked slightly annoyed.

_Huh? What does she mean?_ "Always what?" Squall looked at her once again.

"Oblivious to others? I think that you think too much." Rinoa said.

"It's none of your business." He said.

Rinoa felt guilty and apologized.

Just then, the band now played waltz music.

_Hey, that's…_"Umm, dance with me?" Rinoa asked Squall.

_What? She's asking me to dance?_ She just might be one of those annoying fans. "Can't dance," he lied. 

"Oh come on. Everybody can dance. Please? I can't be on the dance floor alone, can't I?" Rinoa insisted. When Squall didn't reply, she took that as a yes and she dragged him on the dance floor with her hand on his arm.

They started to dance weirdly. Squall starts to unintentionally steps on Rinoa's foot. And they kept dancing like that until they clashed on another couple dancing. Squall was about to apologize when Rinoa stuck out her tongue at them and turned to him and gave her a sweet smile.

Squall's heart almost melted when he saw her smile. Just then, they found themselves unconsciously dancing. The two lost themselves as Squall spun Rinoa and pulled her back. When the music reached its end, Squall spun Rinoa once again and pulled her back in his arms. He felt an unexpected attraction between them.

When the music already started playing again for another round, Rinoa and Squall didn't move. They just stared at each other's eyes. Steel blue eyes locked with deep brown. Their faces were just centimeters apart. Rinoa could feel Squall's breath against her. They both felt drawn.

_Who is he? I feel different around him. I feel like I've known him for a long time. _Rinoa thought.

_She's so familiar. I think I've met her before. _Squall thought.

Squall felt his left hand sliding down Rinoa's right arm and then he felt a sudden roughness in her skin.

He suddenly noticed a gash on her arm. He was about to question her about it but was interrupted by fireworks. They both looked at its direction. Blue, green and red, the fireworks were a sight to see. Squall was still looking at the fireworks while Rinoa was now looking at him.

Just then, sudden images flashed through Rinoa's mind.

_"I want to show you something." Rinoa saw a young boy take the hand of a girl. They both walked towards the beach._

_"You said you wanted to show me something?" the girl asked._

_"Yeah, here." the boy pointed at the horizon._

_"Squall, it's beautiful"_

The sudden sound of the people applauding woke Rinoa from her daydream.

_What was that?_ Rinoa thought. As she saw Squall's face again, she felt confusion.

When Squall turned to face her she pulled away from his embrace.

"Thank you for the dance. Good night," and with that she walked away.

_What was that for? Hell, I didn't even get her name! They're all the same. People come and then they eventually go._ Squall thought.

**Author's note:**

**Well, this is probably the longest chapter that I've written. Let me know of what you think of this one. Everyone please REVIEW.. Ü**

**I'm just going to be updating on Saturdays, I think. Because it's really hard being a member of the Student council. So many things to do at school.**

**And the chapter title Serendipity is one of my fave words. And the elevator scene was taken from the movie Serendipity.. hehe . Ü**

**Umm, for more trivia.. This whole fic was inspired by my own experience. And as I was writing this I was listening to my ff8 piano collections cd and it was playing Eyes On Me… awww.. me and my soul mate's theme song .. grrr...**

**My love life is really weird since I'm just a 13 year old. And it is giving me such heart-breaks. oh well ... I'll just let fate take me wherever...**

**Anyways, I would like to thank the following:**

**Leonhartilly- finally, they met!… I want to know what you think of this one.Ü**

**Heartillyangel- Cloud will be appearing in some of the chapters later on.. Ü**

**Stardust Ray- yeah, your secret's safe with me. Ü I'm sure that I'm gonna be smiling when I read the ending . Ü hehe . actually I have no choice in backing out off the school parties 'cause they always tell me that I'm required to be in charge of all of them 'cause I'm elected as the vice president of our Student Council.. grrr.**

**To my new reviewers: Lil Doro, Lunetta-Chan and Moonlight Star Phoenix, thanks a bunch!.. Ü**

**To all others who have been reading this, I hope you're enjoying this so far. AngelSorceress, thanks also!.. Ü**

**Love yah guys!.. Until then.. Ü Take care always!.. Ü**


	7. Chances

"**Chances … are unforeseen events that may happen to someone or something.."**

**Chapter 7: Chances**

Squall awoke early in the morning. He hadn't really slept that night. He can't sleep because the event that happened that night. About the mysterious girl that he danced with.

Squall couldn't stop thinking about her. He felt something within her that he just couldn't place. There's something deep within her that he has yet to find.

_Face it Leonhart. Everyone comes and goes._ He said to himself. He still can't figure out why she left at that instant.

_Was it because of me? Or maybe she has a boyfriend who saw her dancing with me? Was it because she knew that I lied to her about not knowing to dance?_ These thoughts kept flooding through Squall's mind. _Forget her. She's just like the others._ Those were his last words to himself before drifting back to sleep.

On the other room, Cloud was also awake. His thoughts were also centered on a certain woman. _Damn! I didn't even get her name!_ He yelled mentally on his head.

Ever since he met the girl whom he ran into he always wondered if he'd ever see her again. At first, he saw that she was a beautiful woman and then again he felt drawn to her.

Sighing deeply, he reached out for his handkerchief laid on his bedside table and wrapped it in his hand before falling asleep.

In her room, Rinoa, woke up early. She just received a phone call from Mr. Brian if they could already start the recording.

So she got up from her bed, took an immediate shower and dressed up in her usual black and white outfit.

Walking in the streets of Balamb, Rinoa also had her thoughts on the night before. _Leo, how could such a celebrity be such an ass? _She laughed at herself. She noticed that he doesn't want to talk so much. _And he said that he didn't want attention? Isn't that what celebrities usually have? Maybe not all of the celebrities didn't want to be famous?_ She pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she arrived at the building.

_Oh well. Here goes…. _Rinoa entered the building to start her recording.

In Balamb Garden..

Squall awoke hours later. He checked the time and it read 10:15. He got up from bed and took a shower. After which he dressed up in his usual attire. A white shirt with his brown jacket on top and his lion pendant hanging on his chest.

Squall walked along the corridors when Selphie jumped right in front him.

"Hi Squall!" yelled a very excited Selphie.

"Hi," Squall replied in a monotone voice.

"Oh come on. What's with the long face? Anyways, the Garden Festival is nearing and I'm assigned as the one in charge of the whole thing!" Selphie looked at Squall for any reaction and continued.

"As I was saying, I was wondering if you could help me out with the decorations? Pleeeeaaaaaasseee. Zell and the others would help too." Selphie asked.

_What? Oh well. Might as well help them so that I can have something to do before the end of my vacation. _"Sure," Squall replied.

"Thanks Squall! I'll go tell Zell and the others. And just so you know, can you handle the flowers?"

Squall felt confused. "Flowers?"

"Yeah, well Quistis and Zell will be in charge of the food. Irvine with the band and all others with the stage and everything else. I just think that adding decorative flowers will be really presentable, don't you think? Please?" Selphie insisted.

"Yeah, whatever" Squall replied.

"Thanks again Squall! The Garden Festival will be held next week." Selphie jumped with glee down the corridors as Squall once again felt grateful for having such 'friends'.

Just then, his cellphone rang.

"Hello?" Squall answered.

"_Oh hi Leo. James here. Can you drop by my office? I want you to hear the song of your next movie. I want to know your opinion."_ The director said.

"Be there in 20 minutes" and Squall hung up.

At the building, there was a built-in recording studio where hit tracks was to be recorded.

Rinoa finished recording her song and James was so proud of her as he shook her hand. Her voice sounds really like an angel singing. You feel an unexpected feeling of lightness soothe your soul.

They both thanked each other and Rinoa said that she still has work and is very grateful for having the chance to sing for a movie.

James thanked her once again and she left the building.

The flower shop, where she works in the afternoons, is just across the building. As she crossed the street, Squall was already parking his car in front of the building.

As he reached the office of James Brian he was welcomed by the director.

"Leo! You're here!" he said excitedly.

_Obviously. _Squall thought. "You wanted me to hear something?"

"Of course. Wait a minute" James took out a C.D and placed it in the radio on his table and played it.

Squall sat on a chair beside the director's table and waited patiently for the song to be played.

As the music began playing. A melodious angelic voice entered. Squall once again felt that he was listening to the voice of an angel. He felt his soul calm down to the inside.

His thoughts drifted back to the girl he met last night. And Squall instantly remembered that the girl whom he danced with was the same girl who sang this song! _Angel! _His mind screamed.

_So, it was her. Was this coincidence?_ Squall thought.

As the song ended, his mind was brought back to reality.

"So, what do you think?" James asked.

_Amazing. _"It's okay" Squall replied.

"Just okay? You sure? You want us to record it again?" James asked.

"No!" Squall unconsciously yelled.

"Leo?" James was slightly taken a back by his sudden outburst.

"It's nothing. I'm sure. It was alright" Squall assured. Finally standing up, he bid the director goodbye and he said that he has something else to do.

Exiting the building, Squall noticed the flower shop right across the building.

_Might as well take care of it. Selphie might be furious if I forget about it. _Squall thought.

Crossing the street, he entered the flower shop and was greeted by all the people there. Seeing that he was a celebrity, they were all smiling and was volunteering in assisting him with what he needs.

Rinoa was busy tending the flowers on the back of the shop as she heard the girls in front excitedly talking. Just then, one of her friends approached her and told her that Leo, the actor, is there.

_He's here?_ Rinoa thought and went to the front of the shop.

Squall completely ignored the girls there and immediately asked the girl on the counter.

"What are your best flowers here?" he asked with a cold tone of voice.

The girl just kept smiling, "The roses and carnations are our best sells".

Just as he as about to speak, he saw a familiar girl come in sight. It was the stranger whom he danced with.

"You…" was all that Squall said.

Rinoa smiled at him and held out her hand. "We meet again," she said.

Squall hesitantly shook her hand. Even through his thick gloves, they both felt each other's warmth. Squall felt drawn.

When they withdrew their hands, they were staring at each other's eyes. And they both felt something spark between them.

"Ahem…" one of the girls in the shop cleared her throat and they were both out of their trance. And everybody was staring at Rinoa with jealous looks.

"Can I help you?" Rinoa asked.

"Yeah," Squall replied.

Everyone was surprised by this. They kept on asking him if he wants to be assisted bbut said nothing. But when it was Rinoa, he instantly said a word!

"So, what would it be?" Rinoa started.

Squall looked around towards a hundred kinds of flowers in the shop.

"You're best sells."

"Ah, I see. How many would you like?"

"It's for a party next week." Squall said.

"We'll deliver it by then. If you want, I can help you arrange it." Rinoa said.

Squall nodded and left the shop.

_There's something about her._ Squall said to himself.

And Squall went back to Balamb Garden.

**Author's note:**

**Hi there everyone. Just as I said, it is Saturday today. I'm sorry if this chapter is lame. I'm sick today but found the urge to update. I'm suffering from fever and colds. sniff sniff**

**I can't concentrate right now but don't worry, I have this story planned and that I hope that you'd keep on reading and reviewing it. And of course I do hope that you'll still enjoy reading it. That's all that matters. Ü**

**Hehe. I can't concentrate 'cause I'm watching the Vision of Escaflowne right now. Hehe . Ü**

**Anyways, I would like to thank the following:**

**Leonhartilly- hehe. Don't'feel bad about Squall being forgetful. Rinoa also forgot him too. Ü thanks for reviewing constantly and of course reviewers like you is always special.**

**StardustRay- Thanks. Yeah, love can be painful and at the same time inspiring. Harhar. And I'm really looking forward to the update of your story.**

**Heartillyangel- I was in Australia for the month of April to June. I stayed there for my summer vacation. Harhar. Ü I'm also looking forward to the update of your fic.**

**Ayato- thanks.**

**AoA- hehe. Yep. I really believe in destiny. And yes, I've watched the movie. I really love the whole thing. Ü hehe. Thanks also for the tip. And Suteki Da Ne's orchestral version is entitled "Someday the dream will end" . Ü Yap, I like that also. Ü**

**Lil Doro- You also have Squall's necklace? Yup, me too. It's also my prizes possession, I bring it wherever I go. And of course, I also have a very small replica of Squall's gunvlade and his griever ring. But unfortunately, my friend lost my ring and I cried the whole day. Urgh . but thanks for reviewing.**

**Ceres81- before I became Lady-Rinoa I was once Lady-Ceres. Hehe .. I also play ff7 and tactics. Ü and of course I know that Ceres legend.Ü hehe. Thanks.**

**Hope always- thanks for reviewing. And I'm really touched. Just wait and see, 'cause just as I said. This is already planned and I hope that you'll enjoy it. Ü**

**Rinny Leonheart- Thanks a bunch!.. Ü**

**AngelSorceress- Tiffany?.. secret.. Ü She'll be included in this fic. And for a tip, Tiffany is going to be shortvut as Tifa. Get it?. Ü hehe .. thanks for reviewing.. Ü**

**Rinleonheart- thanks for reviewing!.. Ü**

**To everyone- thanks for reading .. and I hope that you're enjoying the story.. Ü**

**I promise that I'll do my best to make this better. Ü**

**Thanks everyone!. Take care!. Ü**


	8. Meeting once again

"**Fate sends you signs in order for you to figure out the right direction that you should take"**

**Chapter 8: Meeting once again…**

The next day…

Squall woke up with a start. It was still early for him. But he felt something deep within him.

Ever since he met _Angel_, he can't stop thinking about her. And the moment that they were so close, he feels something different. Surely he thinks that she's beautiful and talented. But apart from those features, Squall still thinks that there's still more than that.

_Now Leonhart, when did you ever start thinking like this!_ He yelled at himself.

He checked his watch on his bedside table and it read 7:20 am ..

_My two week vacation is going to expire soon. Might as well do something._

Squall got up from his bed, took a quick shower and dressed up in his usual white shirt, brown jacket and leather pants.

As Squall was walking in the corridors, he was met by Selphie.

"Hi Squall!" the cheerful girl said.

Squall just nodded.

" So, I was thinking. Are you sure that you're alright with the flowers? If you don't want to then Zell can take the job.." Selphie said.

"It's fine. I already talked with someone who can help me." Squall replied with a monotone voice. He didn't know why he said that but the thought of giving Zell the job would only mean that there is a short chance to see Angel again.

"Oh really? Thanks Squall" Selphie was jumping to the fact that Squall was interested in helping them get ready for the Garden Festival.

While looking at his friend jumping with glee, he remembered her saying before that she was so happy in seeing Angel and how she wanted to meet with her.

_It's better off to let her know that it was Angel whom I talked to, _Squall thought.

"Selphie, it was Angel whom I talked to," he said.

Selphie's eyes widened. "Really?"

Squall nodded.

"Yihee! I'm so happy Squall! Maybe you can bring introduce me to her next time when she comes here to decorate!" Selphie exclaimed.

Squall nodded once more and headed out of Garden just as soon as Selphie thanked him.

Rinoa arrived early at the flower shop. She still can't forget what happened the day before.

She also felt something stir deep within her when he met Leo. It wasn't his fame or his good looks that attracts her to him but something different.

As she opened the shop, she arranged the flowers there as she waits for her co-workers.

Putting away some of the pots, she heard the door of the shop open, and came in the guy whom she talked to the day before.

"Can I help you?" Rinoa asked Squall in a polite manner as she stood right in front of him. From there, she again felt that weird feeling.

"About the flowers, I haven't told you about it" Squall said.

"Yeah, you just left at that time." Rinoa smiled.

_What the hell is this I'm feeling!_ Squall can't seem to comprehend on what to say to her.

"It's for Balamb Garden's Festival next week. We need it for decorations." Squall explained with his best in keeping a monotone voice.

Rinoa laughed at this.

"What's so funny?" Squall demanded.

Realizing that he was dead serious, she waved her hand at him. "Sorry, that was rude of me. It's just that ever since I met you at the party, it was the first time that I heard you say lots of words."

"Very funny" Squall said sarcastically.

"Well, I'll go to Garden if you want so I can help you put them up." She said.

Squall nodded. "Fine then. Let's go."

Rinoa was surprised by this.

"Go?" she asked.

"To Balamb Garden" Squall replied.

"Right now?"

He eyed her for a while and said, "Look, if you don't want to go then fine. Just make sure that you'll be there next week."

Upon hearing this, Rinoa ran towards the door and turned around to smile at Squall who was now giving her a questioning look.

"Might as well go now or be locked in here," she smiled.

"Whatever" and they both exited the flower shop.

They both rode on Squall's Alfa Romeo on the way to Balamb Garden. The trip to Balamb Garden was a quiet one. Squall being the anti-social type was not the one to start conversations but still glances over Rinoa on the corner of his eye.

Rinoa on the other hand has been thinking of starting a conversation. The silence was killing her.

_What to say? _Rinoa said to herself for the millionth time.

Finally she managed to speak, "Umm Leo….."

"It's Squall." Squall interrupted.

Rinoa was giving him a questioning look, "Squall..?"

"Squall. Squall Leonhart. That's my real name," Squall said keeping his eyes on the road.

"Oh," Rinoa managed to say.

_Squall.. So his name's really Squall. _She thought.

Just then, sudden images flashed through her mind.

_It was the flower field again. There was a girl who also had black hair, pale complexion and brown eyes. The little Rinoa. She was standing in the flower field until she saw a boy sitting in the middle of it._

_She walked over to him and introduced herself._ "_Hi, I'm Rinoa. You must be in the orphanage too." she just looked at him. Patiently waiting for his response. Then the boy nodded then said, "Squall"._

_What? The girl processed in her mind what he had said. Noticing her confusion, the boyl said, "My name's Squ.."._

The sudden sound of the brakes broke Rinoa out of her daydream.

_Why do I keep seeing it? The flower field.. A boy…. _Rinoa was still lost in thought.

Squall was sitting on the driver's seat and looked over at Rinoa. He noticed that there was something bothering her.

"Squall right? Why Leo?'" Rinoa asked him.

Squall at first thought that it must be her way of issuing small talks and didn't want to answer it. Also he might think that Rinoa's gonna tell on everybody that she _knows_ his real name. But there was this feeling that's telling him to trust her. And he debated on himself if he would tell her or not.

_What the heck am I thinking bringing her to Balamb Garden this early! And why on earth did I tell her my name!_ Squall yelled at himself mentally.

"Forget what I said…" he heard Rinoa say. "If you don't want to answer it then I'll respect that. By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name's Rinoa by the way." She said.

_Rinoa… Even her name's beautiful. Hell, what am I thinking! _He thought.

"You're going to ask me something." He pointed out, forgetting that she was supposed to ask him something.

"Oh yeah, oh about that.. Never mind it," she said.

Upon arriving at Balamb Garden, as soon as Squall parked the car and they both stepped out.

Squall and Rinoa were now walking side by side on the corridors of Balamb Garden. Everyone who saw them smiled and muttered to themselves how cute they both looked.

Every guy who saw Rinoa shot jealous looks on Squall and same too with the girls who shot Rinoa jealous looks because of walking with Squall.

"Don't mind them," Squall said in a low voice.

Rinoa didn't mind it at all. She just appreciated the structure of Balambn Garden, the mercenary school. It was Rinoa's first time to be at Balamb Garden. She was amazed at how big it was inside. Also, it was a clean place which everybody can enjoy the environment.

"Umm, Squ.." Rinoa began to speak but was interrupted when Squall pulled her using her arm in a corner.

"Don't call me that. Call me Leo in public, alright?" He hissed.

Rinoa nodded. "Sorry"

And they both walked towards the cafeteria where the gang was enjoying themselves.

Standing by the entrance of the cafeteria, Squall asked Rinoa to stay there for a while. And so she waited. All of a sudden, a guy with blonde hair bumped in to her.

Looking at the person who bumped into her, Rinoa quickly recognized who it was.

"Hey, you're…" She began.

Cloud suddenly looked at her and noticing who she was, he smiled.

"It's you again. I can't believe that I always bump into you." Cloud said and held out his hand for her.

"The name's Cloud. You must be Angel?" He said.

Rinoa shook hands with him, "Yes. I'm Rinoa"

They were both smiling at each other when they heard a clearing of throat interruption.

Squall was standing there and was carrying his usual cold stare. And beside him was a girl.

"So, I'll be seeing you around then." He said and gave Rinoa a wink. "Bye Squall, I'll just go to the training center."

"Angel, this is Selphie. Selphie, Angel" Squall said.

Selphie and Rinoa shook hands with each other and Selphie has this huge smile on her face.

"I can't believe it." Selphie said. "Umm, so you're going to help Squall in decorating Garden?"

Rinoa nodded with a smile.

"Yipee! Nice. So, you two should be close to each other, alright? Since you two are going to work together. Oh and Angel.. Could you sing for us at the Festival?" She asked.

Squall gave Selphie the death glare as if saying 'she just came here and then you're gonna ask her that!'

Seeing Selphie's anticipation, Rinoa managed to agree with a smile, "Sure why not? I'll sing there."

"Great! Thank you! Oh, got to go. Got lots of things to do. Bye!" And Selphie waved goodbye leaving the two standing there.

"You hungry?" Squall asked Rinoa.

Rinoa smiled and nodded and they both ate together.

**Author's note:**

**Okay, so here goes my update. I'm sorry for not updating last Saturday because one of the biggest basketball leagues in our country has already started. It's a battle of schools and me being a drummer for our school's cheering squad is really giving me less time for myself..**

**I'm sorry if this chapter is not really that good, or so I think.. Let me know what you think. Please Review!.. ÜÜ**

**And also I've been in a bad mood lately. I've been crying for a whole week because of lots of problems right now. Especially my love life. Hehe .. How can love hurt so much?..**

**Later on I think I'm going to be releasing 2 other fanfics. I'm not yet sure of the titles but the other one's going to be entitled 'Soul Mates', it would be based on my real life experience. He-he.**

**And also, I'm sorry if in the previous chapter, many people said that it was a bit rushed. Actually it is, and I'm sorry about that. I was really actually hurrying at that time.**

**Anyways, the thank you portion..**

**To:**

**Leonhartilly- Thanks. Ü Yeah, many people said that it was rushed. And you know, when you meet a person when you were so young, expect to forget them after lots of years. Ü**

**Heartillyangel- Thanks. Ü Yep, I stayed in Canberra for two months.Ü And we went to Gold Coast to visit Sea World, Movie World, Wet n Wild and Dream World. It was so much fun. The rides were breath-taking. Hehe .. Anyways, hope you'd also update soon..**

**Lil Doro- Thanks a bunch!.. Ü Well, I hope that you've watched the telenovela "Summer Scent". That's where I got the idea of Rinoa arranging flowers for Squall. Ssh, keep it a secret okay?.. Ü**

**Rinleonhart- Ei, thanks for reviewing!.. Ü this is the update now. Thanks for waiting.**

**Lunetta-chan- I'm sorry if the previous chapter was short. It was a hurried chapter actually. I promise to write a longer one next time, oki?.. thanks!. Ü**

**Stardust Ray- Thanks for that. Ü I'm better now. Though sometimes I get this headaches. I want to sleep right now!. Harhar. Ü Hope you update soon. Ü**

**Rinny Leonart and AngelSorceress- Thanks a bunch!.. Ü mwahugz…..**

**FinalFantasyLover- You're new!.. Ü Thanks for reviewing.. Hope you'll enjoy the upcoming chappies. Ü**

**TO ALL OF YOU READERS, THANK YOU!. Ü MWAHUGZ!. Ü TAKE CARE ALWAYS AND GODBLESS.. UNTIL NEXT TIME!.. Ü MOST PROBABLY NEXT SATURDAY AGAIN. Ü**


	9. Serenity in Silence

"_**Silence… The loudest sound in the universe is Silence…"**_

**Chapter 9: Serenity in Silence**

Squall and Rinoa ate with pure silence that morning at the cafeteria with all of the people sending jealous looks at both of them. While some people agree that they are a pair.

After their 'silent' eating, they exited the cafeteria as quick as possible. Walking side by side, Rinoa gently grabbed Squall's right arm.

"What?" asked Squall.

Rinoa smiled. "I was wondering. Could you give me a tour of Balamb Garden? Please? It's my first time here, please?"

_A tour?_ Squall's first instinct was to say 'No'. But the moment that he saw in her eyes the anticipation and realizing that he was the one who brought her there in the first place, he had no choice but to agree. And with that, he nodded.

"Really? Let's go then!" Rinoa jumped and hugged Squall's arm. "Where to go?"

Squall felt a little flushed because of the contact but he did a good job in hiding it.

Rinoa looked at Squall's face and saw that he was blushing. "You're blushing."

_The hell!_ "My arm," he said in a cold tone of voice.

"Oh, sorry about that." Rinoa reluctantly let go of his arm and they both walked around Garden.

They reached Library and Squall explained to her that the library was for students who want to find their leisure with books. Rinoa was actually giggling inside to the fact that Squall's acting like a teacher.

"Hey…" Rinoa interrupted.

"What?" he looked at her.

"Oh come on. You sound like an instructor." She giggled. "Make it fun!"

"I don't understand"

"I don't understand either,' she smiled.

_Is she toying with me!_

Seeing the annoyed look at Squall's face, Rinoa checked the time and it was already 3 pm.

_I've got to go._ "Hey, I'm gonna leave now. I've got something else to do. I'll see you later then."

After agreeing that she'd just walk by herself to the flower shop, Squall accompanied Rinoa to the front gate where she said that they'd meet again.

Squall watched Rinoa until she was no longer in sight. Sighing, he went back inside where he was greeted by Zell and Irvine.

"Nice one Squall!" Zell exclaimed while he gave Squall a hard smack at the bag.

"Good one man! I never knew that you had in you!" Irvine was now smiling widely.

"What the hell are you saying?" Squall was now doing his best to stay calm inside.

"Oh come on man. Don't try to deny that you like her…" Zell said.

Squall shot him a death glare. "I don't…" He said it quietly, but good enough for his 'friends' to hear. At the sound of it, he seems to doubt even his own feelings.

Irvine was now giving him a malicious smile. "Oh really? Don't lie to us Squall, we know you like her. You even asked her to eat with you, right? And you BROUGHT her here! You brought a girl Squall! And don't forget we SAW you when you interrupted Cloud and Angel!"…

_What!_ Squall didn't know what to say to that. _Like her? I barely know her! I don't even know why I brought her here in the first place! Sure she's beautiful, gentle and kind and Hyne when she smiles… I love her smile… But that doesn't mean I like her… Can it?_

The laughter of Irvine and Zell brought Squall back to his senses.

"You think too much Squall. Lighten up." Zell said.

"Yeah. And hey, I gotta go. Selphie and I have to set up the Quad for the Festival. See you later." Irvine bid them goodbye and left.

"Me too Squall. I'll see you later too, ayt? I umm.. got to go the Library…" Zell also left.

_What's happening to me?... _Squall thought to himself.

That late noon…

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am really proud to introduce … Angel! She will be singing and playing the piano tonight for all of us." The emcee put the microphone back in its stand and left the stage as Rinoa stepped at the platform towards the piano as everyone applauded.

She was wearing a sleeveless dress that reached up to her legs that shaped her figure perfectly. Her dark hair flowing freely past her shoulders.

Sitting down, she leaned a little bit towards the microphone, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm going to be singing the song that my mother first wrote, it is entitled Eyes On Me."

Smiling, she pressed her fingers down and played…

With the melodious sound of the piano resonating in the whole bar, she sang…

**Whenever sang my songs...**

**On the stage on my own**

**Whenever said my words**

**Wishing they would be heard**

**I saw you smiling at me**

**Was it real or just my fantasy?**

**You'd always be there in the corner of this tiny little bar….**

As she continued to play, tears are starting to form in her eyes.

**My last night here for you**

**Same old songs just once more**

**My last night here with you**

**Maybe yes, maybe no**

**I kind of liked it your way**

**How you shyly placed your eyes on me**

**Did you ever know?**

**That I had mine on you**

Still playing, she closed her eyes and her tears started to fall down her cheeks.

**Darling so there you are**

**With that look on your face**

**As if you're never hurt**

**As if you're never down**

**Shall I be the one for you?**

**Who pinches you softly bur sure**

**If frown is shown then**

**I would know that you are no dreamer…**

She continued to sing, and as the song ended everyone stood up and applauded.

Wiping tears from her eyes, she held the microphone in her hand and said, "Thank you everyone. That would be it for today. Enjoy your day."

As she exited the stage, everyone clapped their hands. Walking over to her friend, Aya, she said that she'd have to go early because she's not feeling well.

"You sure you can go home by yourself?" Aya asked her friend with concern.

"Yes, I'm fine by myself."

"I can walk you home." Aya offered.

"No, stay here. Just have fun, alright? I'll be fine. Promise." Rinoa insist.

"Alright then. If you insist."

After insisting that she'd walk by herself, Rinoa exited the bar.

Feeling cold, she hugged herself in an attempt to feel a bit warm. But to no avail, it didn't help at all.

She actually didn't want to go home yet, she only wants a moment of silence. It was her mother's death day anniversary today, so she decided to play her mother's song. But it only made her lonelier.

As much as she wants to visit her mother's grave, she can't. Because her mom was buried in Deling city. The place that Rinoa wanted to forget so badly.

Stopping in her tracks, she suddenly looked up at the sky. She admired the sunset. She admired it more than anyone else…

"It's beautiful, don't you think?" a voice said from behind her.

Suddenly, she turned around to see who it was. She saw a handsome young man staring back at her with gentle blue eyes.

"Squall…" she said softly. "Why are you here?"

It took him a moment to answer then finally said, "I needed some air… And you?" He gave her a curious look when he saw where she was standing.

Noticing that she is standing on the middle of the street, she smiled shyly, "The same. I don't feel like staying in crowded places for now."

"Come with me." Squall began.

"Huh? Where?" Rinoa asked.

"I uh…" _Why am I stuttering! _"I want to show you something." Squall managed to say.

"Okay then." Rinoa smiled.

Squall then invited Rinoa in his car and they drove away.

Seated in the driver's seat, Squall looked over at Rinoa and felt a bit worried because of her silence. She was always full of life. But now, she's very silent and by the look in her eyes, she was thinking deeply thinking about something.

Noticing eyes on her, Rinoa looked at Squall, who in the right time turned his gaze in front, just before he lock eyes with her.

She forced a smile and continued to gaze at the nothingness.

"So, where are we going?" she asked.

"Just wait and see…" Squall replied.

It was getting dark and they can barely see what's ahead of them. The stars and the moon are beginning to take their place in the sky.

Soon after, the car stopped. Squall had already parked it.

When both of them got out of the car, Rinoa felt sand tickle her feet, considering that she's wearing sandals.

_Sand?_ That's when she realized Squall took her by the beach.

"Squall, if I may ask, why are we here?" she asked while searching for him.

No answer came. He was out of sight.

"Squall?" she called out once again in hopes of finding him.

"I'm here." Squall said finally.

"Where?" Rinoa still can't see him.

"Over here. By the shore."

And then there he was. He was standing by the sea, barefooted. Rinoa could see the side view of his handsome face. The evening breeze was blowing his hair and the fading rays of the sun highlighted his muscular built and his deep blue eyes.

He had taken of his shoes and his feet were now soaked in the salt water.

Rinoa walked over to him and stood beside him.

Squall felt her presence and turned his head a little to look at her. She was smiling, and her eyes were closed.

He watched her. He can't help but notice how beautiful she looked. And her jet-black hair with gold highlights moving along with the wind.

Rinoa opened her eyes and looked over at Squall. Their eyes locked. Deep cold blue staring back at chocolate brown.

_Rinoa… Who are you?_ Squall thought to himself. Wondering why in a short time that he'd known her, he felt like he knew her for a long time. And Rinoa too, felt the same.

After a moment had passed, Rinoa giggled.

"What?" Squall sounded annoyed.

"Nothing." Rinoa said while laughing.

Squall was still looking at her with a mixture of annoyance and curiosity in his eyes.

"No, I promise it's nothing. It's just that I think that you think too much," she said calmly.

"Whatever," he replied. Shifting his gaze on the setting sun.

"Well Mr. Whatever, now's the time to lighten up, right?" she said while resting her hands on her hips.

"What?" Just about when Squall was about to look at her again, water splashed on his face.

_The hell! _"What was that for!" Squall unconsciously raised his voice.

Rinoa bowed her head down, hands behind her and she too wasa barefooted and her feet made tiny cicles on the sand.

Realizing he had yelled at her he calmed down and he smiled slightly to himself at how cute she looked when she's like that.

"Hey, it's alright," Squall said in a more gentle but quiet voice.

Upon hearing this, Rinoa couldn't believe her ears. The tone of Squall's voice was different. She lifted her head and saw Squall's tiny smile. And that made her smile as well.

Once again, Rinoa giggled.

"What now?" Squall asked.

"You should smile often. You really look even more handsome when you smile," she said.

"Whatever," he replied.

"Oh yeah?" Just then, Rinoa dipped her hands in the water and threw it on Squall.

Squall was now soaking wet from the water that Rinoa 'splashed' on him.

"Come on, Mr. Whatever lighten up!" Rinoa yelled, and was now running like a child who had her first trip at the beach.

Approaching Squall again, she dipped her two hands in the salt water and threw it at him again.

This time, Squall avenged himself and scooped up a large amount of water and splashed it on Rinoa.

Both were now soaking wet and laughing like kids. Rinoa was delighted to finally see him laugh even though she knew that he was preventing himself from laughing.

Just then, Rinoa pushed Squall hard and he fell on the wet sand. The waves that reached the shore wet him.

"Now, are you…" Rinoa began to say when suddenly Squall's hand pulled her wrist making her fall down in his lap just in time for the waves to wet them both.

"Now, you feeling better?" Squall whispered in her ear.

_How did he…? _"Hmm… A little…" Without warning, Rinoa gently kissed Squall's cheek.

Squall's eyes widened with surprise.

Rinoa smiled and stood up from his lap, gazed at the direction of the setting sun and closed her eyes to feel the evening breeze.

When the early stars started to take their place in the sky, and both of Squall and Rinoa's clothes were dried, they sat in the sand.

Squall was silently staring and admiring the sun and Rinoa sat hugging her knees.

Squall was unsure on how to start a conversation. He wanted to know more about her but he just can't bring himself to do it. At the corner of his eye, he was looking at Rinoa who was seriously staring at the horizon.

"Thanks Squall," she began. Now looking at him, she caught his gaze.

"For what?" he asked.

"You made me smile today. The reason I was standing outside the bar alone was that I missed my mom. I feel sad because I can't even visit her grave today when it's her death day anniversary." She said softly. Tears forming on her eyes while shivering from the cold.

Squall then took of his jacket and put it on her shoulders. "It's alright."

Feeling Squall's jacket on her shoulders, she cried. She was not supposed to cry. She didn't want to cry. She doesn't want anyone to see her cry but she couldn't help it. Her father kept telling her that crying is a sign of weakness and she didn't want Squall to see her weakness.

Feeling stupid for saying that it's alright, Squall can't help but feel guilty. He didn't want to see her sad. He wanted to comfort her but a part of him was telling him to just ignore her. But he just can't. He felt drawn to her. He can't resist.

Slowly but hesitantly, he put his hand on her shoulder and kept her close.

Unconsciously, Rinoa leaned on Squall's shoulders and cried.

"I'm sorry, Squall," she muttered.

"Don't be. It's alright. You can cry all you want." He said.

"Thank you…" she whispered.

Remembering that she was Angel, Squall used his other free hand and dug something in his pocket.

"Rinoa," Squall said softly in her ear. "I wanted to show you something."

"Hmmm?" Rinoa lifted her head from his shoulder and looked at what he was holding.

"My necklace! But how did you…?" Rinoa asked but was unable to finish her sentence as tears started to fall down her cheeks again.

Squall then placed and clasped Rinoa's necklace on her neck.

Touching her ring pendant, Rinoa couldn't speak. She just cried. And without warning, she hugged Squall. She wrapped her arms on his neck and cried on his shoulder. Finding her only comfort.

"Thank you… Thank you Squall… Sooo much," she cried.

Without hesitation whatsoever, he returned the embrace and they stayed like that for the rest of the night…

**Author's note:**

**Well, that's the update… It's the longest one that I've ever done! It's just to make up for the days that I haven't updated… I do hope that you enjoyed this… Please let me know what you think!.. Ü REVIEW please… Ü**

**I just wanted to show the development in Squall and Rinoa's "friendship"… Ü**

**Hehe …I hope you enjoyed this!... Ü**

**Our final exam's on Thursday and Friday now, that's why I can't update. I have to finish all my projects and study….**

**And about Rinoa crying because she missed her mom is what I'm actually feeling too right now. I miss my mom because she's still in a different country…**

**And of course, the Thank You portion:**

**Ayato- thanks!.. Ü**

**Heartillyangel- Thanks!.. Oh and you're story is really fascinating especially now that Rinoa and Squall are together now… Ü Oh and yeah, I've decided to write 3 more fics.. Ü I hope you'd check them out sometime… Ü**

**Asdumbasadodo- Thanks!.. Ü hehe . Yeah, let's just say that Squall is jealous of Cloud. Ü woohoo. Ü**

**Lil Doro- teehee!.. thanks!.. Ü Well, your sneaky feeling is right.. Ü I made this chapter longer for you!.. Ü hehe. So, I hope you enjoyed reading it… Ü and I'm from the Philippines by the way… Ü the country where Asianovelas are very famous.. Ü**

**Rinny Leonhart- Thanks!.. Ü I'm thinking of doing more chapters to show the development between their relationship. Ü**

**Warrior of the Dark- you think so?..Ü Thanks for reviewing!.. Ü**

**Stardust Ray- Well, better late than never, right?.. Ü Thanks for all the reviews!.. Ü I'm actually down lately, lots of problems.. grrr.. Ü But hey, look at the bright side.. I updated!.. ☻ The ending of Between Heaven and Hell was very good!.. Ü Congratulations!.. Ü**

**So, I think that's it then.. until next time!.. Bye guyz!.. I LOVE YOU ALL!. Ü Take care always!..**


	10. My Knight

"_**Patience is a virtue"**_

**Chapter 10: My Knight**

The heat of the early sunrise had awoken Rinoa.

She stirred her head and slowly opened her eyes. She found herself lying in a bed, with blue and white bed sheets, beside a wall. She's in a room far different from hers. Beside her was a bedside table with a lampshade on top. The whole room was neat and in order. Lifting the sheets lightly, she was wearing the same dress that she wore last night.

_Where am I?_ Rinoa thought to herself. Gathering her memories, she tried to put her thoughts together to remember what happened last night.

_The beach!_ Her mind exclaimed. Lifting her whole body into a sitting position, she buried her face in her both hands to think.

_Last night… My mom's death day anniversary. I was walking in the street, just then… Squall..._

"Squall!" she said softly.

Tilting her head slightly on her left, she saw a man lying on the floor. He was sleeping in a side view position, his head resting on his arm and his face was facing at Rinoa's direction.

_Squall… He looks so cute when he's sleeping._ _Oh so that's it, he brought me here. I must have fallen asleep that night. _Rinoa smiled at herself.

Carefully, not wanting to wake him up, she slowly put her feet to the floor and took a pillow in which she put under his head and also the blanket and put it over him.

Squall stirred in his sleep but didn't wake up. After which, he was once again in deep slumber.

Smiling, Rinoa took out a small sheet of paper and a pen from the bedside table and wrote a little message which she put on the bed.

Scanning the room, she found Squall's jacket on the chair adjacent to the bedside table.

Conscious of her walking in the corridors of Balamb Garden with just her dress on, she decided to wear the jacket for a while. Slipping her feet on her sandals, she slowly left the room.

-Flashback-

_It was raining. There was a boy standing in the middle of a field… A flower field to be exact._

_He was crying. Even with the rain, his tears were visible. He was standing there… Alone..._

"_How many people have to leave and hurt until they're finally satisfied?" his mind was screaming._

"_First Sis… and now YOU…" He stopped crying and wiped the tears from his eyes. "I'll go on just fine without you. I can live by myself without anyone. I'll be strong!"_

_Just then, the scenery changed._

_The boy has grown, maybe 3 years older than before._

_He was standing on the beach with eyes closed. A woman was walking towards him and put his hand on the shoulders of the boy._

_She leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Come now my child. Don't worry about it. She'll be coming back. But maybe, it might not be today."_

_He opened his eyes but still kept his gaze straight. "If not now then when?"_

_The woman put her hands on her sides and also looked at the sunset. "Let Destiny decide on that…"_

_Destiny…_

-End Flashback-

Squall quickly awoke from his slumber and opened his eyes.

_That dream … It was … Was it real?_ He thought.

_A boy… in the rain … Flower field… He was waiting for someone… Destiny… _Sighing, he put his hand on his forehead.

_Leonhart, you're going nuts!_ He said to himself.

_What in the name of Hyne am I doing here! … _His minded drifted back on the night before.

"Rinoa…" he said softly.

Upon muttering her name, he instantly remembered that he had brought her there.

Standing up quietly, he looked over at the bed and found no one. Instead, a small piece of paper.

Picking up the paper from the bed, he read the note and felt himself smile a little.

It read,

_Thank You… Thank You For Last Night…Be borrowing your jacket today …_

_Love lots,_

_Rinoa_

Sitting down at the bed, he ran a hand through his hair and muttered, "Silly girl".

Lying down on the bed, he thought of last night.

After Rinoa had hugged him after receiving her necklace, she instantly fell asleep in his arms.

Not knowing what to do, he held her for a long while and decided to let her spend the night in Garden because he had no idea where she lived.

Careful not to wake her up, he gently picked her body and carried her towards the car. She looked so fragile. Squall found himself staring at her sleeping form and watched how she breathe life into her. He found himself so drawn to her though he doesn't know why.

While walking towards his car, Rinoa stirred in her sleep. Looking once more at her, he heard her say two words, "My Knight".

Squall would've ignored it but he saw her lips twitch into a small smile.

_Now, what could she have been dreaming?_ He thought.

* * *

Walking down along the corridors of Balamb Garden, Rinoa can't help but be amazed at its structure.

_It's like Galbadia's… But it's much more beautiful. _She thought.

After a while, she found herself in the Quad.

"Balamb Garden IS amazing," she said.

"You think so?" a voice said from behind her.

Turning around, she saw Cloud walking towards her.

He was wearing a black shirt and leather pants just like Squall. He was handsome.

"So, you're here again?" he asked. Now standing beside her.

"Yeah, I think that I'd be staying here in Garden for a long while," Rinoa replied looking at him with a smile.

_She's so lovely especially when she smiles. _Cloud thought.

"Oh yeah? And why is that?" He asked, smirking.

"Well, because I am here to assist Leo in decorating and designing this Quad for the Garden Festival." She said.

"That's great then. I'd be seeing you longer." He said.

Rinoa have no idea in what he meant by that but still considered it as a friendly statement.

"So, you hungry or somethin'?" Cloud asked.

"Not at all. Ummm, I just felt like going home for now." She said.

"Then let me take the honors in bringing you home? I suppose that everyone deserves a second chance."

_What does he mean by…? Ah! Now, I get it. _"Hmm, give the person who ran into me a second chance?"

"Well, maybe. To show you that I am sorry and since you were too stubborn at that time and refused my offer to give you a ride…" He said.

"Okay then."

"Great!" his smile widened and noticed the jacket that she was wearing.

"Angel?" he asked. Curiosity in his eyes.

"Yep?"

"Is that jacket…?"

"Squall!" Rinoa interrupted as she saw Squall walking by the Quad.

Cloud looked at the direction to where Rinoa was looking and indeed 'Squall "Leo" Leonhart' wasstanding at the entrance of the Quad.

"Could you excuse me for a second?" She asked, looking at Cloud.

He nodded but still kept his eyes on Rinoa and Squall.

_She knows and calls Squall by his REAL name? How? She's outside Garden, only people inside Garden knows his real name. Maybe they're close? And Squall told her all about it?_ Cloud felt a tinge of jealousy on that idea.

Rinoa ran and approached Squall from behind.

She tapped his shoulder and he turned around to face her.

"Hey, good morning!" She said with glee.

"Hey," he replied with a cold tone of voice.

Rinoa, not to be taken aback by his cold tone of voice, removed his jacket from her shoulders and handed it to him. "Thank You." She said.

"Whatever," he replied.

"No. I'm serious." She began, now speaking in a more serious tone. "I mean thank you for everything. For the necklace, for making me feel better, for letting me hold on to you…"

Squall didn't know what to say to that. He now can see tears forming in her eyes. He knew that she was in pain and needed support. But before he could say anything to make her feel better, he saw Cloud appear from behind her.

"Hey Squall." Cloud said.

"Hey," Squall replied.

"I see you know Angel here."

"She's helping me with the Festival.." Squall said.

"Yeah, she told me that a while ago." He glanced at Rinoa. "So, you ready to go?"

_What? They're going out? What do I care anyways! _Squall thought.

"Umm, yeah." She said, looking at Squall. " I'll be back in the afternoon, then we can get it over with."

Squallnodded and Cloud put his hand on Rinoa's shoulder and they both exited Garden. Squall immediately turned his back and walked towards the cafeteria.

**Author's note:**

I'm sorry that it's short and there's nothing much that happened here. I just wanted to update so badly. He-he.

And yeah, I'm sorry for the late update. The past week has been very challenging for me. It was the most tiring week I've ever had!... I'm sooo tired from school. Studies, the Periodic Exams, projects and homeworks, trainings in the pep squad.

Oh and about the party that I was arranging that I was telling all of you about.. It was a success!.. They all enjoyed it!.. haha!..

Anyways, I'm sorry for telling all of yah about what's going with my life… Oh well.

**Of course, the THANKS portion:**

**Lunarious Luna-**I'm sorry for not including you in the thank you portion in the last chapter.. Ü But thank you still for reviewing, I hope you'd keep on reading.. Ü

**Serene Angel Wing- **Yeah!.. I love fluffiness as well. With Marshmallows?.. Hehe.. Ü I'm glad you liked it!.. I hope you enjoy reading my fic…

**Stardust Ray**- Of course, thank you!.. Ü And yeah, I'll now be supporting Damaged Hearts and Eternal Breath.. hehe… Thanks for cheering me up!..

**Chibi san- **I'm sorry for the late update… But here it is . Enjoy!

**Leonhartilly- **Thanks a bunch!.. mwah!

**Heartillyangel- **This fic is actually based on all the thoughts in my mind.. hehe. Chapter 6 , as you can remember, the elevator scene is based on the movie Serendipity… Ü Beautiful movie for destiny believers like me.. Ü check it out!.. Ü

**Zornoid13- **Yeah, thanks so much. Here's the update now.. I hope you'll enjoy…

**AngelSorceress- **Well, better late than never right?.. hehe. Thanks a bunch!.. Ü Enjoy!

**Lil Doro- **I've been waiting for your review and aha!... It came!.. Ü Thank you!.. here's the update now. It's short, I know… I'm just so busy right now but I hope that you'd still enjoy.. Ü

**And to all others!.. Thanks so much for reading …. And to all of those who have put my story in their fave list… Thanks!.. Ü**

**I love yah all!. Take Care always!.. MWAHUGZ!.. Ü**

**I'll be updating very soon…. And more surprises will come . hehe…**


	11. Twinkle

"**_Friends are like the stars. They are always there to light up your life even in the darkest of times"_**

**Chapter 11: Twinkle**

_Why am I feeling this way? I'm not like this! _Squall yelled at himself as he walked through the corridors on the way to his dorm. _So what if Rinoa and Cloud gets close together! Why do I care?_

Upon reaching his dorm room, he sat down on his bed and pressed his forehead on the palm of his hand.

_Now, I only have at least a week for my break. After that, I have to work again. I hate movies but I entered the world of movies. Isn't it ironic? _He thought to himself.

Lying down his bed, he thought of Rinoa.

_Rinoa… She's lovely, yes and pretty talented as well. But there's something about her that brightens my day. I want to see her but I respond to her coldly. What the heck am I thinking!_ And with a short while, he fell asleep.

After having lunch with Cloud, he drove her to the flower shop and left saying that he still has something to do.

"Now, where are the flowers?" Rinoa scanned the room for the flowers to be decorated in the Quad.

"Oh, there they are." Carefully, she picked up the vases that contained colorful flowers. There were carnations, roses and all other kinds.

Picking them up, she was assisted by her friend Aya in bringing the flowers to Balamb Garden.

"What's this story that I've heard that you're spending less time in the bar because you're seeing someone?" Aya said smiling while tying her hair in a ponytail.

Rinoa looked at her friend with a confused look and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"Hmmm… Let's just say that I saw someone last night walking out of the bar and when she was walking down the street, she was confronted by a handsome young man with delicate blue eyes." Aya replied.

_Is she talking about Squall? She's right. I was met up by Squall in the street. _"Oh that. Oh come on. There's nothing between us."

Aya flashed her friend a grin. "You sure about that? He's really handsome you know. Even though I only saw the side view of his face. So, who is he?"

"Let's just take this to Balamb Garden, okay? Let's go." Rinoa said, ignoring her friend's question and walking out of the shop.

Rinoa walked in a fast pace and Aya was doing her best to catch up with her.

"Hey wait!" Aya called out. Upon hearing this, Rinoa slowed her walk as her friend caught up with her.

"What was that about?" Aya asked, catching her breath.

"Sorry about that. Ummm. Where were we?" Rinoa asked.

"I was asking who were you with?" Aya said.

"Oh… That was…" Rinoa paused. Unsure of what name to say. "That was Squ… I mean Leo."

"Leo? The actor?" Aya yelled in surprise. "But how? Are you two close?"

"Hey! Keep it down alright? Hmmm. We first met in the an anniversary party, alright? And then we just met each other again because he was asking for assistance in putting up flowers for their festival. You know about that, right?"

Aya nodded. "Since then, you've been seeing each other?"

Rinoa shook her head. "No, it was coincidence that we met on the street. He said he needed fresh air and so do I."

Aya gave Rinoa a look that told her that she's not going to buy that explanation.

"No, really. It's true." Rinoa insisted.

"Okay. Whatever you say."

* * *

_Knock. Knock._

_Oh great. Such a disturbance. _Squall said to himself.

Still wearing the same attire, he walked to the door and opened it.

Looking at the person standing just outside his door. His irritation ceased. There stood a woman with raven black hair and beautiful brown eyes.

"Hi there!" Rinoa said. "You look tired."

_Tired as hell. I'm not getting any rest from this vacation at all._ He said to himself.

"Hey…" He heard Rinoa say softly.

"What!" He said coldly.

Rinoa dropped her gaze and stared at the floor. "I'm sorry. It's just that. You think too much. Lighten up a little."

_Nice going Einstein! Now you hurt her! What doyou care anyway!_ Realizing what he had done, he answered back in an apologizing soft tone of voice, "Sorry about that. Just tired, that's all. Let's go then."

Still avoiding his gaze, she turned away and nodded.

The walk towards the Quad felt like an eternity. Both were walking down the corridors without saying a word.

Squall tried so many times to attempt to start a conversation with her but he can't. He's not good with words and he was conscious on saying things that would hurt her again.

Finally, after a long moment of silence, Rinoa spoke first. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you earlier."

Squall looked at her and unsure of what to say. "Don't be. I was waking up anyways."

"I see." She nodded.

Upon reaching the Quad, Rinoa looked for her friend. When she saw her, she was accompanied by Zell, Quistis, Irvine and Zell.

Rinoa and Squall walked towards them.

"Hi Angel." Selphie greeted cheerfully.

"I see that you've met my friend Aya here. She'll be helping us decorate for the festival." Rinoa said.

"That's good." Quistis said.

"So, Angel. You still gonna sing for us?" Irvine asked with a grin.

"Umm. Yes of course. If you all want me to."

"Of course we do!" Selphie jumped with ecstasy.

"Oh I forgot." Rinoa said. "Leo, meet Aya. Aya, this is Leo."

Aya smiled and nodded. Squall did the same as well.

_So, he is the guy who's with Rinoa. They're perfect!_ Aya thought.

"So then. Let's get started." Selphie announced. "I can't wait! The festival will be a good one!"

* * *

After the decorations have been almost done, it was already evening. And Aya left to work at the bar and Rinoa still stayed at the Garden finishing the final decorations with Squall.

After Aya had left. Zell, Selphie, Quistis and Irvine also left as well to arrange their band, leaving Squall and Rinoa alone together.

After finishing the designs, tiredly, Rinoa sat on the bench and Squall did the same.

"Squall?" Rinoa called.

Squall looked at her.

"I… I want to know you." She said.

_Know me? Why would she like to know me? Oh I see. She might be one of those fan girls who were interested in checking out my whole biography. _He thought.

Hearing no response from her companion, she turned to face him. "Why are you always like that?"

This startled Squall as he looked away. "Like what?"

"Always drifting off in your own world?"

"Whatever. It's not your concern." He said coldly.

"Yeah, right. You thought that I was like them, huh?"

Squall looked at her as she looked away from him.

"I'm not like your fans who wants to meddle with your life. I just…." She paused and cast her head down. "I felt like I knew you." She whispered softly.

_What have you done! Now you made her sad again! Apologize to her! Say something! _His mind yelled.

"I'm sorry for speaking to you like that." Squall began. Keeping his gaze straight. Avoiding her eyes.

"It's just that… I'm not used to having people around me, you know? Surely, every time I go out in the streets, there are always these fans around. And I've never been close to anyone of them,that's all." He explained.

Rinoa was stunned. Lifting her gaze, she looked at him and giggled slightly.

"What's so funny?" he gave her a questioning look.

"Nothing. It's just the longest thing that you've ever said to me." Rinoa said.

"Whatever." They both said in unison.

Then suddenly Rinoa's expression became serious. Looking away from him, she called out in a soft voice, "Squall…"

Looking at her, he was out of breath. _She is really pretty._

Feeling his eyes on her she said, "I'll always be here for you. Don't worry."

_How come she's saying all of this? _"Thanks."

And without warning she leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Squall flinched at the sudden contact. Rinoa could feel it.

"Don't be scared of me. I'm not going to bite you." She giggled.

Squall smiled a little. "Whatever… And Rinoa?"

She opened her eyes. "Yes?"

"How are you two going?" He asked.

"Who?"

"Cloud." Squall stated.

"Hmmm. We're friends. Or so I think… Why?" and she closed her eyes once more.

"Nothing." Squall replied. _What am I saying? So what if they're 'friends' or if that's how they treat each other… Wait a minute… Am I jealous of him?_

**Author's note:**

Okay. I'm really sorry for the late updates and I'm having the feeling that you may not like this chapter. I just wanted to update so badly because this is the only time that I've got. My schedule is too hectic right now.

And yeah, thanks to all of those who reviewed the last chapter. And also thank you to those who have been reading my story even though they're not reviewing. Ü I really appreciate it!.. Ü

The following chapters would show the closeness and the progress in Squall and Rinoa's relationship and more surprises too will come!...

Thanks to the following who have reviewed the previous chapter: **LilDoro, chibi-san, heartillyangel, Stardust Ray, Hope Always, Rinny Leonhart, MafGoldenheart, Silent Angel510, Serene Angel Wing, AngelSorceress and leonsgriever69.**

Thanks for all the support!. Until then… Take Care always and Godbless!..

**14Lady-Rinoa14**


	12. Love moves

"**_Love moves in mysterious ways…_**

_**It's always so surprising when love appears**_

_**Over the horizon**_

_**I'll love you for the rest of my days**_

_**But still it's a mystery of how you ever came to me**_

_**Which only proves,**_

**_Love moves in mysterious ways……"_**

**Chapter 12: Love moves in mysterious ways**

After a week long preparation for the Garden Festival. It was already set.

The Quad was decorated with different kinds of flowers. There were also lights around the plants. There were round tables in the center of the Quad, arranged in a circle-like formation. There was also the stage in front. Yes, everything's all set.

It was already 6 pm in the evening and Rinoa was still in her room looking at herself in the mirror on the vanity table beside her bed. She was wearing the same dress that she wore on the night that she met Squall, it was also the day that they first danced with each other.

Rinoa glanced once more at the clock on the bedside table and it read 6:10 pm.

_Damn. Don't want to be late there. _She thought.

And with that, she left.

_

* * *

__Oh great. I still hate parties._ Squall thought to himself as he was absent-mindedly staring at himself at the mirror. 

He too was wearing the attire that he wore on the day that he met Rinoa, leather pants, and white shirt with his jacket.

_This is the same one that I wore when I was with 'her'. _He thought to himself.

Picking up his griever lion from the bedside table he wore it around his neck.

After checking himself once more on the mirror, he exited his room.

* * *

The Quad is now filed with all the members, staff and students of Garden.

Selphie, Zell, Irvine and Quistis were all seated in the table nearest to the stage.

"Yo, so where's Rinoa and Squall?" Zell asked.

"No problem about Rinoa, she's here." Quistis, who was wearing a red sleeveless dress with matching red gloves that reach up to her elbows, replied and pointed towards the entrance of the Quad.

"She's here! Hey! Over here!" Selphie exclaimed standing up and waved her hands in the air to catch Rinoa's attention.

Rinoa noticed the yellow dress of Selphie and with a smile walked over to them.

"Wow Angel, you look really lovely tonight." Irvine said. "Have a seat."

Rinoa sat next to Selphie and Quistis and asked, "So, where's Squall?"

"Squall? Oh, maybe in his dorm or something. He's never the type to all these parties." Quistis said.

"Really? Why is that? I mean, being a celebrity and all, he must be used to these kind of stuff."

"That's what's weird about it." Irvine answered as he put his arm on Selphie's shoulders and smiled. "Why don't you ask him?"

"Oh." Rinoa was allshe could say and scanned the crowded Quad. "There're lots of people here tonight."

"Yeah, thanks for helping us out in the decorations." Selphie said.

"No, problem but there's still that bill, you know?" Rinoa replied.

"Oh yeah I forgot. How much for all of these flowers? We're just gonna get it from Garden's funds."

"I'll let you know tomorrow, ok?"

"Sure. Then, let's get started." Selphie said and stood up from her seat. "Let's get it on!"

Selphie walked over to the stage and held the microphone in her hand. "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all for coming in our annual Garden Festival. There will be foods, dancing, performances, wines and all others in this evening. Thank you also to all of those who have participated in making this evening a success. So, let's enjoy the night, shall we?"

Then all of the people in the Quad applauded.

As the applause died down, Selphie continued, "Now, tonight we have a guest singer. She has helped us in decorating and preparing for this evening and she'll be singing for us tonight. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present…. Angel!"

All of the people exclaimed and applauded as they saw Rinoa walking up the stage as the spotlight was focused on her.

Selphie gave Rinoa the microphone and she grasped it, "Thank you for inviting me here. It's such a pleasure to be here in this affair. Now, tonight I will be singing a love song so I'd like to ask every one of you to please clear up the center so that everybody can dance with their partners if you wish. Thank you."

Just then, the music began to play. The sound of the piano was heard all over the Quad and Rinoa sang with her angelic voice.

**Who would've thought?**

**This is how the pieces fit**

**You and I shouldn't even try making sense of it**

**I forgot how we ever came this far**

**I believe we had reasons but**

**I don't know where they are**

**So, blame it on my heart….**

As the song reached the chorus, couples were already dancing on the dance floor. All were swaying and moving in slow motions.

**Love moves in mysterious ways…**

**It's always so surprising when love appears**

**Over the horizon**

**I'll love you for the rest of my days**

**But still it's a mystery of how you ever came to me**

**Which only proves,**

**Love moves in mysterious ways……**

**Heaven knows love is just a chance we take**

**We make plans but then love demands a leap of faith**

**So hold me close and never ever let me go**

**Even though we think we know which way the river flows**

**That's not the way love goes….**

Singing the part of the chorus once more, Rinoa was making hand movements now and searching the crowd for a certain someone. _Maybe he's not coming?_

As the song reached the instrumental part, there he is. Standing in the corner was Squall. He was looking at a distance while holding a wine glass. She noticed that he too was wearing the same attire that they wore the night they met at the hotel. _He's looks so handsome._

Rinoa felt her cheeks blush and tore her gaze away from him. _What is this feeling?_ She asked herself. And as the instrumental was about to end, she held on to the microphone as she sang the bridge part.

**Like a ticking of a clock**

**Two hearts that beat as one**

**Oh but I'll never understand the way it's done**

**Love moves in mysterious ways…**

**It's always so surprising when love appears**

**Over the horizon**

**I'll love you for the rest of my days**

**But still it's a mystery of how you ever came to me**

**Which only proves,**

**Love moves in mysterious ways……**

When the song ended, everyone applauded and cheered.

Rinoa was relieved and smiled, "Thank you."

After exiting the stage, a new band came to the stage to play a different type of music.

Rinoa was looking around for Squall and went to the place where she last saw him but he was not there anymore.

Frowning, she decided to walk over to their table until someone tapped her on her shoulder.

_Squall? _She turned around and looked over to the one who tapped her on the shoulder and there was Cloud.

"Hi there. Your performance was great." Cloud said.

"Thanks." Rinoa replied.

"Can I get you a drink?" He asked.

"No, thank you."

"Are you feeling all right?" He asked once more.

"Yes I am." _I'm not all right at all. I don't know what I'm feeling!. _"Umm, Cloud. Sorry but I think I needed to get some air. See you around." Rinoa said and walked towards their table.

* * *

When he entered the Quad, he noticed that people were on the dance floor dancing with their partners.

Suddenly, he heard an angelic voice. Looking at the person who was singing, he was paralyzed.

Descending the stairs, Squall took his place in the corner not wanting to be noticed by anyone and watched her silently.

_She was wearing the same dress that she wore the night we met._ Then he heard it. Her song. He listened to it deeply and took in the words. It was a simple love song and yet it seemed so straight forward.

_Love moves in mysterious ways, huh?_ He thought. _Who cares? I don't even know what love is. But…. What is this that I'm feeling? Oh crap. I need some air. _And with that, he exited the Quad.

When he came back he saw Rinoa's figure walking towards the table. He was about to go to her until he saw Cloud approach her. Going back on his spot on the corner he observed them both like a hungry eagle looking intently at its prey.

_Why do I care so much on their 'friendship'!_ When he saw Rinoa leave Squall he smiled to himself and walked towards her.

* * *

She sat alone and watched as Selphie and the others were dancing in the middle.

"Ummm, Miss. May I have this dance?" she heard a voice ask her.

Looking up, she can't believe her eyes.

"Squall?" she said with surprise.

"What? You sound like I'm here to take your life away." He said.

"No, no. It's not that." She answered.

"Whatever. So, you're gonna sit around here all night?" he asked said sarcastically.

"What do you think?" She answered him daringly and looking at him straight in the eyes.

"Whatever. Come on." He said as he gently took her hand and led her in the middle of the dance floor. Just then, the music began to play another love song and all the couples danced with their partners once more.

Leading Rinoa into the middle of the dance floor. He gently put his right hand on her waist and his other with her right hand.

_Is this a dream? Squall asked me to dance?_ Rinoa was amazed that Squall came to her on his own and the way he asked her to dance with him.

The music was a slow one and they began to move sideways in slow motion.

"So, what came to your mind and asked me to dance?" She asked him, looking at his stormy blue eyes.

"I… I don't know." He said. "Great performance by the way."

Rinoa smiled, "Thank you." She paused for a while. "So, you were there!"

_Hyne, how I love her smile._ "Your song…" he began. "I… I really liked it."

"Really?" she was amazed at the sudden change in Squall's behavior. He was talking now.

"Yeah."

"Thank you." Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around Squall's neck and leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Squall didn't know what to do but also wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his right cheek on her head. He inhaled her scent and his breath was taken away. He closed his eyes and pulled Rinoa closer to him.

_What is this feeling? Please… Somebody tell me… Rinoa…_ He had never been physically close with anyone. But now, he can't believe himself that he was holding on to someone in public and that this girl he had only met a few days ago. He doesn't know why but he feels relaxed when he's with her.

_I can't. I shouldn't. _He said to himself. _I shouldn't let her get too close to me._ _But... _He paused when he finally realized one thing. _She's already too close…_

The previous music ended and a new love song was played and they stayed like that in the middle of the dance floor and enjoying the closeness that they have.

**Author's note:**

Yihee! Chapter 12 down!Ü

By the way, the song in this chapter is 'Love moves in mysterious ways' by Julia Fordham. Ü hehe… Hope you liked that…

I just wanted to include that song in my story. And also I want to show the changes in Squall because of Rinoa. Ü

I just wanted to update to celebrate my 14th birthday… I started writing this chapter last September 14 because it was my birthday! Teehee! So happy!Ü

And yeah. Thanks to all of those who have reviewed my previous chapter and to all who have been reading.

Thanks **heartillyangel** for the constant reviews. I believe that you've been reviewing my story since Chapter1. Ü Thanks a bunch!

And to **Cerulean Devil** - hehe.. About Cloud's eye color. I just wanted to make my own version of Cloud. Hehe. And on chapter 6, Rinoa ran away 'cause she wanted to gather her thoughts. Sorry about that. Thanks for reviewing and reading.

And to those who are waiting for Seifer's comeback... Oh, he will be here sometime soon. Ü

To everyone!. Thanks for reading and PLEASE REVIEW.. Ü it means a lot!.

By the way, the reviews that your going to make in this chapter would be considered as your birthday gift to me!. Hehe. Ü

Take Care to all!

**14Lady-Rinoa14**


	13. Regret

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy. They all belong to the wonderful and amazing people of Square... Also, the songs that I posted is not mine.Ü

"_**Sometimes we think that feeling something is enough. But we don't realize that when we don't take risks and do something about what we feel. The feeling just goes away and we miss out on what could have been beautiful…"**_

**Chapter 13: Regret**

The party ended in the middle of the night. The Quad is now empty except for the stage, tables, chairs and all other things that are used in the party. The people are now in their dorm rooms sleeping soundly, except for two…

After dancing for so long in the dance floor, Rinoa invited Squall to walk with her along the corridors of Balamb Garden.

Taking Squall's wrist, she began to pull him away out of the Quad gently. Upon exiting the Quad, she let go of his wrist and smiled.

"Never knew that you were the type who would ask a lady to dance." she said.

Squall looked at her with a blank expression and said, "Whatever."

"Well then Mr. Whatever, how about that tour now?"

"It's the middle of the night. I'm not in the mood." He replied.

"Since when did _you_ ever get in the mood?" she said sarcastically.

Squall looked away from her annoyingly and said nothing.

"Fine. I'm sorry." Rinoa said when she noticed the annoyed look on Squall's face.

"Whatever."

Rinoa had to smile at that. After spending a few days with Squall, she had already known his behavior. _He's just so predictable sometimes. I wonder why he's always lost in thought though. _She thought.

"Aren't you going to go home? It's late." Squall said.

She turned to him and giggled, "Getting rid of me now?"

_What is she saying?_

"Look. I'm just concerned that it is already late and your parents or boyfriend might be worried about you." He stated with a cold tone of voice.

_What the hell! Did I just say that! Oh crap._

Just as expected, Rinoa smiled at Squall's last sentence.

"You're _concerned_ about me?" she asked playfully.

_Oh hell. _"I didn't say that. What I meant is that I'm concerned of what your family will say…-"

"I don't have a family." Rinoa cut him off with a serious tone and cast her head down. It's as if she was hurt by the sound of it.

Squall was dumb-founded. "Oh. Sorry."

She lifted her head and looked at Squall straight in the eyes. "Don't be. It's alright."

Looking at her eyes, Squall once again felt mesmerized by her brown orbs.

_She's beautiful._

"It's getting late." He said again.

"Now, I'm really sure that you're getting rid of me." She replied. "Walk with me?"

_No. _His mind told him but looking at the beautiful angel in front of him with that smile of hers, he can't seem to decline her.

He nodded.

Walking together side by side, they reached the parking lot.

"I'll take you home." Squall offered.

Rinoa giggled.

"Now what?" he scowled.

"Nothing." She replied sarcastically. "Are you really Squall?"

"Who the heck do you think I am?" He said.

"Because it's really suspicious that you asked me to dance and now you're offering me a ride home."

"Fine. If you didn't want to in the first place, you could have said 'No'." he replied.

"No. You know? You're right. I could've said _No_ at that time but I didn't. But did you know why?"

_Why?_ He wanted to ask. But he decided against it.

As if reading his thoughts, she answered his question.

"Because I only want to dance with you…" She shyly looked away from him.

_Is that why she turned down Cloud a while ago?_ Squall didn't know why but hearing her say that, he felt relieved. Relieved that she had no interest in Cloud._ Why am I thinking about it?_

Drifting off in his world again, Rinoa gently touched Squall's hand and held it with hers.

"Take me home?" she asked.

Squall nodded and they walked towards his car.

* * *

"This is good news." He muttered.

As Squall and Rinoa left the area, he walked straight to his office.

Sitting down on his chair, he picked up the telephone on his table and dialed a number.

"_Hello?" _said the voice from the other line.

"_This is me."_

"_Any updates yet?"_

"_She's here."_

"_In Balamb Garden. She's in a good condition don't worry."_

"_That's good to know."_

"_She looks just like her mother. An angel indeed. It's no wonder that there are lots of men here in Balamb that has a crush on her._

"_Ah yes. Julia's daughter indeed."_

"_When would she know the truth?"_

"_When the right time comes."_

"_I see. Until then. Goodbye."_

"_Thanks for telling me Cid."_

And the phone call ended.

* * *

Balamb city was peaceful. The shops and buildings are all closed for the night. Every house that they passed by had their lights closed.

Seated at the passenger seat, Rinoa looked out the window. And was thinking of a certain person…

_Squall…._

_I don't know why but … I'm beginning to like him. I don't want him to think that I like him because he is a celebrity. His eyes… When I look into his eyes, I see a child. A lonely child seeking for comfort… Squall, I hope that's not you._

Seated at the driver's seat, Squall felt uneasy.

He looked over at his companion in the passenger's seat and he saw her staring blankly at the window. Rinoa is always so lively and not to mention talkative and her sudden silence made him uneasy.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he diverted his gaze on the road.

"It's nothing." She replied, still looking out the window.

"Remind me again where you live." Squall said with a small smile.

Rinoa finally looked away from the window and focused her gaze on Squall.

"I'm afraid I never told you where I live." She said. "It's the same street as the flower shop where I work."

After that, she drifted off to her thoughts. For the second time tonight, Rinoa was silent. Squall noticed this and was really uncomfortable. _Say something!_ He wanted to talk to her. To tell her everything but he just couldn't. He wasn't the type to talk. He simply wants to be ignored.

_How ironic. I hate being noticed but I'm an actor. I hate this._ He thought

"_Rinoa…"_ he began

Rinoa shifted her eyes to look at Squall who still kept his eyes on the road.

"Squall I… I want … I want to know you." She said softly.

_Know me? She wouldn't. She shouldn't! _His mind screamed. "Why?" was the only thing that he could say.

_He's asking me why… I don't even know why I said that!_ Rinoa thought. "I don't know. It's because I felt like I've known you for a long time, you know? And I feel that, you're hiding… You're sad and lonely deep down." she said softly.

Rinoa's words hit him.

_What does she know about me! How did she…? How could she say that? _Squall was debating with himself. _It's my fault! It's my fault for allowing her get too close!_

"You know nothing about my life. So, butt out of it." He said seriously.

"Why? So you could continue to isolate yourself from others?" She answered back, still keeping her voice as calm as possible.

_Damn it!_ "What are you saying?"

"I've seen it Squall. You're sad. That's why you want to be ignored."

Feeling his anger beginning to rise, he pulled over the car to a stop beside the street.

"Squall. I'm saying this to let you know that I'm here. That I'll always be here for you. And that is why I want to know you more…" She looked at him. "I want to help you..." she said in a soft voice.

Squall still kept his eyes staring ahead, still avoiding her gaze. _That's what they always say. That's what she said back then. But she left… Sis… I've always isolated myself from others to avoid getting hurt. Since then, I've depended on nobody. I've never longed for someone to share my pain with._

"Squall… Please say something." Rinoa pleaded.

_I did my best to prevent people from coming into my life. But Rinoa… She's seen right through me. What if she's like the others? I can't… I can't let her… I have to push her away…_

Hearing her angelic voice pleading for his response… He can't. He can't allow her to see right through his sadness, his pain, and the lives that hetook being a SeeD…

"Rinoa… You don't want to know me." He said, still avoiding her gaze.

He knew that if he ever see her eyes, he would definitely give in to his emotions.

"Why?"

A question so simple. _Why?_

"Because you don't want to know that I've killed! You don't want to know the pain I've felt ever since I was a child! You don't want to know me Rinoa! Please! Just... Just get out!" He yelled, gripping the stirring wheel tightly with his both hands.

Tears started to form in Rinoa's eyes. _How could I say such things? I only made him feel bad. Damn! I'm sorry Squall._

"I… I'm sorry Squall." She apologized. Tears now falling down her cheeks. "I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for intruding your life."

There. She said it. She was sorry.

_Sorry for what? She was only concerned, wasn't she?_

Squall closed his eyes as he released his grip from the stirring wheel. All of his anger started to dissolve from his body and was now replaced by regret.

"Thank you for the ride."

Without warning, Rinoa opened her door and walked out of the car and decided to just walk towards her house.

_There! You got your wish dumb ass! She's gone. She left. You happy now?_

_No… Is that what you wanted? You pushed away the only person who saw right through you._

_No! Rinoa…_

"Rinoa…" he spoke. _I'm sorry._

Without hesitation, he exited his car and ran afterher.

When he finally reached her, he held her left arm gently and made her look at him straight in the eyes.

Their eyes met. Deep crystal blue locked with chocolate brown.

Squall's eyes widened as he saw her tear-stained eyes. It was red and puffy and full of pain. It was no longer the happy and playful brown orbs that he used to love. And he knew that this sadness was because of _him._

"Rinoa I…" He was at a loss for words. Seeing this angel crying in front of him was heart-breaking.

"I'm not going anywhere. I swear." Rinoa said, still locked eyes with Squall.

Using her right hand, she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry." And with that, she continued to walk away from him leaving him standing there alone.

"Damn it!" He yelled when the streets are cleared.

* * *

The following day, Squall can't get up from his bed. His mind was preoccupied to what happened the night before.

_Rinoa…_

He still remembered it. Everything that she said and what _he_ said to her. Her tear-stained angelic face never left his mind.

_I promise…_

Feeling a bit drowsy, he closed his eyes once more and drifted off to sleep once more.

_Dreaming..._

_Where am I? _Squall thought.

He looked over at his surroundings and he noticed that he was standing in a field of flowers.

_This place… I know this…_

He looked up to the sky and saw the moon and the stars. Glancing back at the field, he looked out at a distance.

_Am I dreaming?_

After looking around he saw someone. A boy…

_Why is a kid like that wondering off in the field at night? _He thought as he walked over to where the boy is standing.

As he got closer he saw that the boy was not alone. A girl with jet-black hair was with him. Hiding himself behind the nearest tree, he peeked out towatch the boy and the girl. They were either six or seven years old.

He couldn't hear their conversation but he stared at the young boy. He could only see the side view of its face but he saw that it also has brown hair and blue eyes. Looking over at its girl companion, he felt something stir with in him.

After a while of watching them, he then saw them joining their pinky fingers. It was a sign of promise. And the only thing that he heard was the word 'Promise'.

_End._

Squall suddenly opened his eyes.

_A dream… It's nothing but a dream._

He sat up on his bed and ran his hand through his hair.

_But it seemed so real. And that field…. I think I know it..._

_Rinoa…_

"Rinoa… I promise… I'm sorry"

* * *

**Author's corner:**

Finally! I've finished Chapter 13! I'm sorry it took a long while. I wanted to make it longer but I kinda figured that some people might not enjoy it if it's really long.

I want to thank all of those who have greeted me on my birthday…. Ü

Do you still follow the story line? If you're confused with anything please let me know. Comments? Suggestions? I'm open to all of that… Please keep on reviewing… Your reviews mean a lot… Ü

By the way, I've already watched Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children… And Wow! It's the best movie ever! No other words to describe it! PERFECT! Brilliant! Amazing! Hehe…A definitely must-see movie for Final Fantasy addicts like me… Ü You'll never get tired of watching it. Ü

For all of those who are asking me, it (Advent Children)was released on the day of my birthday which is SEPTEMBER 14! Yihee!Ü And it already sold out 7,000 copies all over Japan and with that success, they want to release it as soon as possible in North America I think!Ü Hehe. If you want, I'll put some news about FF in every chapter that I update… Ü Hehe.

**Thank You reviewer's portion:**

**Rinny Leonheart- **The song "love moves in mysterious ways" can be heard online … You can search it there by entering the title or the singer 'Nina' because that song was revived by her here in our country. Thanks… Ü

**MafGoldenHeart- **Thank you… Ü Hehe. Rinoa and Squall is really the best couple ever!

**Luis-** Thank you for reviewing!Ü I'm doing my best to update as fast as I can… hehe… Hope you'd keep on supporting… Ü

**Heartillyangel- **Thanks a bunch! Thanks for the wishes… Hehe… I hope you liked this one. And I'm also asking myself why I let Squall be the one to ask Rinoa. Ü Thanks again for supporting me in this fic… Ü

**Lil Doro- **Thanks a bunch! I know you like long chapters and this chapter is for you. Like I said, I really intended to make this longer but decided against it because some people don't want it too long. Hehe. But I promise that I'd try writing longer chapters. Ü I'm glad you liked the "dreamy" chapter… Thanks.

**Leonsgriever69- **Thank you! I'm sorry for not yet reviewing on Time Goes On. I haven't got the time. But I promise to finish reading it. It's already on my To-do list in my cellphone. Hehe… Ü

**Cerulean Devil- **Yep. Like I said, Advent Children was released last September 14, my birthday. Ü You should watch it. I really loved that movie. It's the best movie ever!Ü

**Angelsorceress- **Hehe. I really like Cloud to be a part of this.Ü Thanks for reviewing. Thanks for your support! I really appreciate it.

**Silent Angel510- **Thank you!Ü Hehe. I hope you liked this one. Thanks for the support!Ü

**Hope always- **No need to apologize… Ü Thanks a bunch!Ü Hehe… Thanks for supporting!...

**Nix- **Pinoy ka rin? Hehe… Nice!... Salamat ng marami!... Haha!.. tapos na UAAP… UP fight!Ü Salamat sa suporta…

Anyways, so that was it. Hehe… I just want to share to all of you something…. Remember when I said that one of the biggest basketball leagues in our country has already started? Well, my school got to the finals! But unfortunately, we lost the championship. So, we ended up as 1st runner up. Hehe… Just sharing… Ü I'm an open person so if you want to share something to me feel free to do so…Ü

To all of those who have been reading my story but not reviewing, thanks… Thank you for reading and supporting… Ü

**Take care peepz!... Godbless… Ü mwahugz to all of you!... You guys are the best!Ü**

Chapter 14 will be out soon. And another song would be included there... 'Til then... Ciao!Ü


	14. Voice of the Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VIII and its wonderful characters. They all belong to Square Enix. And also, the song in this chapter is also not mine.

"_**You were given two legs to walk, two hands to hold, two ears to hear, two eyes to see… But why do you have only one heart? Because it was given to 'someone' for you to find."**_

**Chapter 14: Voice of the Heart**

Squall was sitting silently in the cafeteria with his comrades Selphie, Irvine, Zell and Quistis.

All of his companions were talking about the previous night.

Irvine and Selphie were sitting and hugging each other as they talked about the bands that played during the night.

Zell was eating hotdogs again while talking to Quistis with his mouth full.

Squall, being his usual self stayed silent throughout their conversations. He was sitting with his arms crossed and head down. When he woke up from his dream, everything didn't feel right at all. He was feeling a bit of nostalgia.

_That dream… It was so real… Who were those kids?_ He kept asking himself a lot of questions in the past and right now more questions were still coming in his mind.

Squall lost himself with these thoughts that he didn't seem to hear his friends calling him.

"Squall? Hey Squall!" shouted Selphie who was leaning to see his face to see if he was sleeping or not.

Waking himself out of his own thoughts, he saw the concerned look on everyone's faces.

"Yo Squall! You okay, man?" Zell asked.

"Fine." Was all that he said. The others didn't push to ask him further about what he was thinking because they know Squall already and they know that he was not the type to share his thoughts out loud.

Irvine, who was talking about how many women that he danced with to make Selphie jealous, asked Squall. "Hey Squall. We saw you dancing with Rinoa. How was it?"

_Rinoa…_ The sound of her name made Squall's heart skip a beat. _How is she? Is she mad at me? Is she still sad?_

"Hellllloooo! Squall!" Zell said, shaking Squall out of his thoughts again. "We saw you two together. How was the dance?"

Squall searched his mind for something to say. "It was…" he paused. _Lovely. _He wanted to say but couldn't. "It was …. Okay." He managed to say.

"Okay! That's it?" Irvine asked. "Nothing happened?"

"What do you mean by that, Kinneas? I'm not like you who screws a girl that he just met for an hour." Squall said coolly.

Irvine laughed, "Well Squall. At least I'm serious with a girl, right Seph?" He said as he put his arms on Selphie's shoulders.

"Shut up, Irvy." She giggled and elbowed Irvine on his side.

Squall looked at the couple and suddenly he thought about a certain woman who had the most beautiful eyes, the most elegant smile, the most angelic face and the most pleasing personality that he had ever witnessed in his entire life.

_Rinoa… I want to see her._

Just then, images and events that happened the previous began to flood Squall's mind.

He saw Rinoa singing and how beautiful she looked while he stayed in a corner silently watching her. Then, she saw her talking with Cloud. After that, more images came and he saw them dancing and talking. After that, the most unwanted event came. He saw himself almost yelling at Rinoa in the car.

He saw it and he saw her tear-stained eyes. He felt miserable for that. _Rinoa… I'm really sorry._

"So, Squall. What do you plan on doing in your final vacation day before you start shooting again?" asked Quistis, again shaking him from his thoughts.

_I see. It's the last day of my vacation. Damn! I lost track of time! "_I don't know… Rinoa."

_Oh shit! Did I just say that! Hell. Take it back! _His mind instantly yelled at him. This isn't right. Just as he was about to take back what he had said, it was too late. His friends now wore their smiles and looked at him as if waiting for him to explain about his "Rinoa thing."

"I…" he began. "I just…"

"No need to explain lover boy." Irvine interrupted. "We all understand!"

"Understand what?" Squall said coldly.

"That you like _her._" Selphie said.

"I don't." He replied quickly. _Do I?_

"Oh come on Squall. We know you do. Don't lie to yourself." Quistis said.

"Yeah man. We've never seen yah so happy with a girl before." Zell added.

_Happy?_ Squall asked himself.

"Tell us Squall. What's now happening between you two? I mean even though her business with us is through, I'm sure that you're still in touch with each other, right?" Selphie asked.

_We don't._ "No."

"No?" Irvine paused and he was hit with a sudden realization. "Something happened, right?"

_How did he know?_ Squall was surprised by what Irvine had said.

Irvine smiled at Squall's eyes. He had to admit that even if Squall looked cold on the outside; his eyes would tell it all.

"Believe me my friend. I am an expert on that department. So, what happened then?"

"I screwed up. I yelled at her because she wanted to know me. I made her cry." He stated.

"You did that!" Selphie was surprised.

Squall felt his anger boil up inside. "It's none of your business. I don't like her." He stood up from his seat and began to exit the cafeteria.

"It's all up to him. I know that he will find a way to make it right." Irvine said to the others.

While he was walking towards the exit, Cloud entered the cafeteria and smiled at him. "Hey Squall."

Squall eyed him long and just nodded and kept walking.

Cloud, who was surprised by his friend's sudden behavior watched as Squall was now almost at the door of the cafeteria and then he heard Irvine shout.

"Squall! Think about it. Don't do risky things all at once. You can do it. It's not too late. She's waiting!"

_She?... Who's she? Is it Angel? _Cloud thought. He dismissed what he heard and saw Squall stop in his tracks for a minute. He thought that Squall was absorbing the things that Irvine had said. After a while, he walked out. And Cloud walked over to their table to chat with his SeeD friends before he resigned.

* * *

"It's been a long time since I've been here." Squall said as he was now standing at the entrance of the training center with his gunblade on his right hand. Before entering, he thought of Rinoa.

_Why can't I get her out of my head?_ He had thought of going to the training center to forget about her and to refresh his skills and strength as a SeeD.

He walked inside, took off his jacket and threw it on one of the boulders there. He wore only pants a white shirt that revealed his muscular built.

Inside the training center, he encountered two T-Rexaurs, gnats and other monsters. He effortlessly battled them and defeated them all.

_It seems like I still have my skills._ Wiping his sweat from his forehead, he thought of Rinoa.

_Damn. She's still here in my head._

Sighing, he exited the training center and walked towards his dorm room.

While inside his dorm, he took a shower and dressed himself up with his normal attire white shirt and jacket attire with the griever necklace on clasped on his neck.

He sat down on his bed and thought of what Irvine had shouted.

"She's waiting…" he muttered silently. _She's crying. She's sad. I can feel it._

"I want to see her." He told himself. He looked over at the clock on his bedside table and he saw that it almost dusk.

_I still have time. _He picked up his sunglasses and left.

* * *

Rinoa was standing in a full-length mirror and examined herself.

"Rinny! You look so lovely! I'm sure that every guy is going to fall for you tonight." Her friend Aya exclaimed. "It's so simple yet you still look dashing."

She was wearing a dress. Almost the same dress that she wore on the night that she met Squall. But this dress was a bit longer and its color was light blue. Her dark long hair was flowing gracefully behind her back and her necklace around her neck. She was beautiful.

"You sure you don't want to come?" Rinoa asked her friend.

"Nope. I have lots to do right now and you're the one who's invited, not me." Her friend replied. "So, let me get this straight. There's this new restaurant that you're going to go to because they've asked you to sing in their opening day. What time are you going to get home?"

"I don't know. It depends actually." She said. "Well, got to go."

"Take care Rinny! Have fun. I'll be sure to lock the doors of your house."

Rinoa arrived at the new restaurant a block away from her house. As the most wanted singer in Balamb, they've asked her to sing there as a guest. The restaurant was a huge place. It also has a huge garden for couples who would want beautiful scenery for their date.

It was already in the evening and she sang in the stage that was built for performers who would sing there to entertain the people. She sang a few songs as she sat in a chair in front, legs crossed, and microphone in hand. She sang as the band behind her played.

As she was about to sing her final song for the night, she thought of a certain person.

_Squall…_

Ever since the previous night, she kept thinking about him and how he might have felt when she walked away.

_Ever since I met him I felt a connection between the two of us. I guess I was wrong._

She cried on her bed and slept. But in every other hour, she would wake up because of a dream.

_A dream… That's all it is._

Hearing the band play once again, she grasped the microphone in her hand and said quietly before singing, "This song is dedicated to someone that I care for and I don't want anything in this world than his forgiveness. I hope that he can hear me wherever he is." She paused. "This song is entitled, "Tell Me Where It Hurts."

Right after she said, she had silently prayed that Squall was here to hear her words for him. She wanted to ask for his forgiveness more than anyone. _I'm sorry Squall. I just want to help you… Because I…_

And then she sang...

Why is that sad look in your eyes?

Why are you crying?

Tell me now, tell me now

Tell me, why you're feelin' this way

I hate to see you so down, oh baby

Is it your heart?

Oh, that's breakin' all in pieces

Makin' you cry

Makin' you feel blue

Is there anything that I can do?

Why don't you tell me where it hurts now, baby

And I'll do my best to make it better

Yes, I'll do my best to make those tears all go away

Just tell me where it hurts now, tell me

And I love you with a love so tender

Oh and if you let me stay

I'll love all of the hurt away

Where are all those tears coming from

Why are they falling

Somebody, somebody, somebody left your heart in the cold

You just need somebody to hold on, baby

Give me a chance to put back all the pieces

Take your broken heart

Make it just like new

There's so many things that I can do

As she repeated the chorus part, she felt her heart sink in. She really hoped that Squall was here. As the song reached the instrumental part, she thought about him… _Squall… This is for you. _She continued to sing the rest of the song and closed her eyes to feel the meaning of the song…

Is it your heart?

Oh, that's breakin' all in pieces

Makin' you cry

Makin' you feel blue

Is there anything that I can do….?

Why don't you tell me where it hurts now, baby

And I'll do my best to make it better

Yes, I'll do my best to make those tears all go away

Just tell me where it hurts now, tell me

And I love you with a love so tender

Oh and if you let me stay

I'll love all of the hurt away

Tell me, baby

Tell me, oh yea

Is there anything I can do, baby

Just tell me where it hurts now, tell me

And I love you with a love so tender

Oh and if you let me stay

I'll love all of the hurt away

When the song finally ended, everybody stood up and applauded. Rinoa opened her eyes and smiled. She said a very happy 'Thank you' to everyone and exited the stage. It was then that she noticed a lone tear fall from her eyes directly downwards on her cheek.

She wiped the tear and saw the manager of the restaurant approach her.

"Miss Angel, it's a pleasure to have you here right now with us. Your performance was superb and everybody loved you!" the manager said.

He was a man that looked like in his late thirties and was formally dressed up and was holding two bouquets of flowers on his both arms.

"Ah, before I forget. This is for you, miss." He said as he handed her the flowers.

"Thank you so much for all of these." Rinoa said.

"No need. We were the ones who're grateful. You can come here anytime you want. And… Miss Angel, the other bouquet of flowers was not from us."

"What do you mean?" Rinoa asked, quite confused.

"The other bouquet that you're holding right now is from another person. And here, he left you a note." The manager said.

He handed her the note and politely held the two bouquets that their guest was holding so that she can read her message.

Rinoa took out the small card from its small envelope. And with slightly trembling nervous hands, she opened it. It read,

Roses are red.

Violets are blue.

Stars are beautiful.

Just like you.

I was the one wrong.

Forgive me it's true.

Whatever

Rinoa couldn't explain what she was feeling right now. From nervousness to happiness to sadness to guilt… She didn't know what she should feel right now. She felt tears forming on the corners of her eyes.

She raised her head up and looked at the manager who now has a huge smile on his face. "He's waiting now…"

She was now forcing back her tears, smiled a little and nodded.

The manager now walked and she followed him.

She can't believe what was happening right now until the manager in front of her stopped in his tracks and opened the doors that led to a huge and beautiful garden. He turned to face her, "This is my stop. Have a good evening." He said with a smile and left.

Rinoa entered the huge garden and she felt her breath taken away. It was a like a field of flowers. There was a fountain in the middle and everything was filled with lights. The bushes and shrubs were all surrounded by lights.

Despite the beautiful scenery, the garden is also full of tables set up for two. It really seems like that this garden is only for couples. But in this case, there were no others in the garden.

When Rinoa took a step forward, she noticed pink and red petals underneath her feet. As she looked at it, she saw that there was a trail of petals that leads to the fountain. Silently, she followed the trail of petals and as she was getting deeper inside the garden she smelled the beautiful scent of the flowers around her.

Getting closer to the fountain, she stopped in her tracks as the petals finally reached their end.

Looking up, she saw the stars. Her eyes widened and again, there were tears once again. The sky was clear and was full of billions and billions of stars. "So beautiful… Everything is…" she said softly.

"Just like you." She heard a voice say. A voice that sounded so familiar. Looking ahead of her, her tears fell down her cheeks. "Squall…"

He was here. Rinoa couldn't believe her eyes, her prayer was answered. He was here.

Squall took a few steps towards her and stopped within a feet away from her, still keeping his distance. Because they both knew that this is an awkward meeting considering what happened the night before.

He was wearing a neat and black tuxedo and his hair was the still kind of messy hair with his bangs falling right by his electrifying blue eyes. He was very handsome.

_That's why every girl in the world likes him._ Rinoa told herself as she saw this good-looking man standing right in front of her as he took her right hand and brought it up on his lips and kissed it and she felt a shiver ran down her spine.

But there is something else that mystifies Rinoa about him. And it was his expression. He no longer wears the cold mask. Rinoa could see it.

"Rinoa, I…"

"Squall, I…"

They both said in unison that made them both surprised.

"You go first." Rinoa said.

"No, you go first." Squall insisted.

Rinoa nodded, "I… I'm sorry Squall."

"For what?" He stated coolly.

Rinoa was taken aback with his response. She looked for the right words to say. "For intruding your life." She lowered her gaze and looked at the ground.

Squall saw the sadness in her face and felt stupid for his sudden reply. _I didn't come here just to hurt her again!_

He took a few steps more so that he was now inches away from her. His index finger gently lifted her chin to make her look at him.

And there he saw it. The tear-stained eyes that he saw the night before. The chocolate brown orbs filled with emotions. Fear, sadness, guilt…

Slowly but gently, he wiped her tears away. Never breaking eye contact. "I was there," he said.

Rinoa smiled a little and she used her right hand to caress his cheek.

Squall closed his eyes and leaned in to her touch while he heard Rinoa say, "Let it go." He understood what it meant and it meant to let go of all his emotions that he kept inside.

Unable to hide it anymore, he opened his eyes and his hand that wiped Rinoa's tears away was now placed on her shoulders.

Just then, Squall slowly leaned towards Rinoa so that his face was now centimeters away from her.

Rinoa's heart beat was quickening. She could feel Squall's breath brush against her face.

Without warning, she leaned forward to close the gap between them and their lips met.

Squall put his hands on her waist and pulled her closer. And Rinoa put her arms around his neck. It was simple but passionate as they both returned the kiss.

Squall pulled away and looked at Rinoa's eyes as if asking for answer.

As if reading his thoughts she said, "Apology accepted."

Squall smiled as he gave a peck on her lips once more.

Rinoa returned the smile and leaned in to his embrace.

Just then, music began filling the whole garden. A soft sentimental music. _Must have been from outside. _Rinoa thought.

"Would you like to dance?" Squall asked as he closed his eyes and leaned his cheek on her soft silky hair.

"Aren't we already dancing?" Rinoa replied with a smile.

"Yeah." He said as he kissed her hair.

_Good music. Good-looking guy. Beautiful scenery. _Rinoa thought.

Everything' perfect.

**Author's corner:**

So, what do you think? Did you like it or not? Woohoo! I wrote this for over than 4 hours. Well, I made it longer for all of those who wants them to meet again. Ü

**Please review.** And tell me what you think of this one.

Hehe.. The song here was "Tell Me Where it Hurts." I don't know who sang it originally but it was revived here in our country by a band or a duo, called "MYMP". From he very first time that I heard it, I knew that I would put it in my story… Ü

**Thank you portion:**

**Thanks to:**

**Lil Doro**

**heartillyangel**

**Rinny Leonheart**

**Jayliyah85**

**Cerulean devil**

**Angelsorceress**

**Vernessa Mouanoutoua**

**MafGoldenheart**

**Moonlight Star Phoenix**

**Shadow of Apocalypse**

**Silent Angel510**

… **thank you everyone . thanks for reviewing… especially those who have supported this from the beginning just like heartillyangel…**

I was really flattered also by your reviews especially Moonlight Star Phoenix.

I'm sorry for the late updates. Just so busy right now… Also, this story is also far from ending. More twists and events to come…

Also, I will be releasing new stories soon… I'm not sure of the titles yet but my new one would be entitled, **"When the Stars Go Blue"**… hehe…. Ü and maybe, **Serendipity.**

Oh well… Thanks for reading, reviewing and supporting my story!Ü

Take Care peepz!...

PS.

I now review your stories as a signed user so that means my name appears as Lady-Rinoa14. Don't forget that Lady-Rinoa and Lady-Rinoa14 is only one person. Oki? That's me…

Until then… I'll update very soon. I promise…Ü


	15. Memories of the past

**A Promise of Love**

**Chapter 15: Memories of the past**

"_**Love is but the discovery of ourselves in others, and the delight in the recognition"**_

A/N: I will resume the scenes from the previous chapter. Oki? Happy Valentine's Day to all!Ü

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VIII is not mine.

The perfect night continued on for the couple Leo and Angel. After what seemed like an eternity of embrace they sat down to have their dinner.

The table that they were using, that was set-up for two, was round with a red table cloth and two red lighted candles on top.

Squall, being a gentleman, pulled one of its chairs a little to allow Rinoa to sit down. While she was seated, he sat at the chair right across from her.

Rinoa smiled at the courtesy that he had been showing her and she felt a feeling of butterflies in her stomach.

She studied Squall carefully while he was talking with the waiter to serve them their food. His face was illuminated by the light of the candles and she took notice of every movement and flaw he made.

As Squall was done talking the waiter nodded and left. Squall turned to Rinoa and he saw her brown orbs staring right back at him which made his eyes question her.

Squall caught her by surprise. Feeling really stupid for staring at him like that, Rinoa shook her head and lowered it to hide her blush.

_Oh great Rinoa. Now, how are you going to explain yourself?_ She said to herself.

After a while, she suddenly heard violins playing.

_It must have been from the band at the stage._ She thought when suddenly she heard the violins playing a certain melody of a song that she knew from her heart.

_Eyes on me…_

Turning her gaze to the source of the sound, which was on her left side, there were five violinists playing inside the garden.

"The song…" Rinoa said softly.

"Do you like it?" Squall asked looking at her.

Rinoa slowly turned her head to Squall's direction and gave him a warm smile.

"I love it." Rinoa said softly.

Squall felt relieved and returned the smile. "I'm glad."

After that, nobody said anything. Nobody _did _anything. They just sat there and gazed at each other's eyes.

_What to say to her now? _Squall asked himself.

_Tell her anything. Tell her what you are feeling. Tell her how beautiful she looks. Tell her how you loved her presence. Tell her everything that she wants to know. _His conscience told him.

"Rin… I-"he began.

Without another second, the waiter came back with a tray in his hands and set their food in the table in front of them.

After the waiter has exited the garden and the violinists were still playing, Squall felt the urge to _speak_ once again.

"I… I've heard that their best food here is their steak so I hope you didn't mind me ordering for you." He said.

"It's alright with me. Don't worry about it, I'm sure that this would be delicious." She said as she held the fork and knife in her hands.

They ate silently but the sound of the violins over-whelmed their being uncomfortable.

* * *

After eating, Squall offered her a ride and he told her that he'd want to show her something.

Once seated at the passenger seat, Rinoa remembered what happened the previous night. Closing her eyes, she recalled all the things that she said and what _he_ also said.

While her eyes were closed, she felt a warm hand touch hers. For an instant, she realized that it was the first time that Squall touched her without any gloves on.

Opening her eyes she saw Squall staring at her with a look of concern on his face.

Rinoa gave him a warm smile and put her other hand on his.

"Don't worry… It won't happen again. I promise," Squall assured her.

_There's nothing in this world that would make me hurt you. I don't want to see you sad again. _He wanted to tell her but decided against it.

He wanted to tell her so many things. He wanted to tell her all the things that she wanted to hear but he just can't bring himself up to do it.

"You ready?" he asked. "It won't be far."

Rinoa nodded.

* * *

"Are we there yet?" Rinoa asked him.

"Almost there," he said.

After a while, Squall then parked his car. "We're here."

Getting out of the car, Squall opened the trunk and pulled out two sheets of blankets and laid it at the rough surface.

As Rinoa got out of the car she instantly knew where they were.

_The beach… I remember this…_

Walking over to Squall, her hands behind her, she smiled at him. "Can I sit down?"

"Sure," he said after he was done laying the blankets down. Rinoa sat down at the blanket and after a while was joined by Squall who sat right beside her. Hugging her knees close to her chest, Rinoa looked out at the distance.

_It's so peaceful here… _She thought. _Is this why Squall wanted to bring me back here again?_

Tilting her head a little, she looked over at Squall. He was also staring at the distance and she seemed to have noticed his being uncomfortable.

Feeling eyes staring at him, Squall returned the gesture. Once again, she looked at Rinoa straight in the eyes and he saw that she seemed to be questioning him.

"Rinoa… I…" He stopped. _I'm not really good at this!_ He yelled at himself. _I'm not good with words. _"You want to go for a walk?"

"Sure," she nodded.

Squall stood up and offered her a hand in which Rinoa took and helped her get up on her feet.

* * *

"And you know? The last time that I've ever been to a beach was the time that I first saw a cold actor smile," Rinoa said.

"Whatever," replied Squall for the hundredth time.

They have been walking hand in hand for a couple of minutes now by the shore.

Squall was right beside her and listened to every word she said. He found her rather amusing as she kept on talking about how her life was in Balamb before she met him.

"Balamb is a lot better than Deling," she explained. "It's more peaceful here."

Rinoa stopped walking and faced the ocean, still not letting go of each other's hand. After staring into the deep dark ocean, she diverted her gaze to the star-filled sky.

Squall glanced over to Rinoa. He saw her intently watching the heavens and saw a small smile form on her lips. _She looks so peaceful. _He thought. For a moment, he felt something stir up inside of him. _It's now or never._

Inhaling deeply, he gently tightened his left hand that was on Rinoa's right one which made her look at him.

"Hm?" Rinoa asked sweetly, still carrying a smile on her angelic face.

Squall once again was at a loss for words as he felt that he was looking at an angel. Black hair dancing freely behind her with the gentle breeze, her face pale and was illuminated by the moonlight. He looked into her brown orbs and inhaled deeply again.

Rinoa seem to have noticed Squall's nervousness and gently tightened her grip on his hand to assure him that everything's alright.

Regaining his composure, Squall finally found his voice and managed to say a single word. "Why?"

_Why? Why what Squall?_ Confused at his simple question her eyes turned into curiosity.

Noticing her confusion he lowered his head and then looked at the ocean.

"It's nothing," he said firmly. "Never mind it."

Still curious though about what he asked earlier, she respected his decision to ignore that question.

"Rinoa…" Squall began again, still looking at the ocean where the moon's reflection can be seen. "What do you want to know?"

_Oh Squall._ "Is this because of what happened last night? Because if you don't really want to-…"

"No Rin," Squall cut her off. "I'm sorry for what I said last night. I was somewhat…. shocked. Don't worry about it. I'm saying this because I that's what I want."

_After thinking for a while, I finally realized that I can't make myself hide things from you anymore Rinoa, now that you have seen right through me._

"I… Tell me about your past," Rinoa said as she kept moved closer to Squall. "If that is alright with you, if not then you don't have to."

Closing his eyes, he felt the evening breeze brushing towards them. _My past…_ He thought as he tried to recall all the memories that he kept all these years that he told nobody about. But now, he's going to break the silence and tell it to the only person in the world he felt he could trust all his life.

He opened his eyes and locked eyes with Rinoa and smiled a little to ease her tensed body. "Let's walk. I won't hide anything from you, I promise you that."

Rinoa blushed at his vow. She obliged at his request and walked hand in hand with him waiting patiently for him to speak.

"I never met my parents…" he then began. "My memory dates back to the time when I was already in the orphanage that was owned by the Kramer couple. They told me that my mother died when I was born and that I have this dad who didn't even get the chance to see me since he was a soldier or something.

At the orphanage, everything was nice. I lived there with other kids who didn't have parents as well. That's where I met Irvine and the others. They were my playmates but as far as I can remember I didn't really interact with them that much. I just sometimes sit in a corner of a room and watch them play. But there's this one person that many people call my rival."

Rinoa was glad that Squall finally opened up and was listening intently to every word he says. "And who might that be?" she asked.

"Seifer Almasy," he stated.

Rinoa felt her stomach fall over at the sound of her former suitor. "Se… Seifer?"

"Yeah, is there something wrong?" Squall asked as he seemed to have noticed that it somewhat bothered her.

Not ready to tell him about Seifer yet, she shook her head and urged him to continue.

Squall nodded and went on with his story, "He always pisses me off. Whether I am alone or not he was always there to ruin my day. He would come up to me and push me. There was this time that I was so frustrated with him that I punched him so hard on the cheek and he returned the punch so we both ended up rolling on the floor and hitting each other."

Rinoa giggled at the thought of Squall rolling over on the floor.

Squall shot her an amused and annoyed look, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing…" she said. "It just seemed rather cute to see you rolling on the floor with your _best_ friend. Don't mind me. Just continue."

"Whatever," he said. "And he is not my _best friend._"

"Whatever you say Squall."

Squall rolled his eyes and continued, "Despite my fights with Seifer, I never felt alone especially when Sis was with me. Sis was two years older than all of us and she was always there for us. She made me feel welcome and secure. Sometimes, the scratches and bruises that I get from Seifer weren't so painful when she's with me. Sis was a kind and beautiful girl as far as I can remember. She never left me alone but then she-…"

He hesitated for a moment and stopped walking. He let go of his hand that was intertwined with Rinoa and he clenched his fists.

Rinoa seeming afraid to touch him walked in front of him and laid a hand on his cheek. "If it hurts you that much to remember, you don't have to."

Leaning in to her touch he put his hand on top of hers that was on his cheek and held it tight. "No. I promised to tell you everything. I'm alright."

"You sure?"

"I'm positive," he assured her.

Rinoa gave him a warm smile and once again their hands were intertwined and walked again.

"Sis… she left one day. No notice. No word from her. No nothing. She just left. Never in my life did I feel so alone and abandoned. Ever since then, I decided to isolate myself from everybody. I didn't cry. I refused to cry that day since I know that crying won't bring her back.

Days after she left, I always see myself standing in the rain waiting for her return but she didn't. I was so mad at myself and thought if I did anything wrong. And so I just spend my time sitting on the flower field by the orphanage. It was peaceful there and whenever the others were worried where I was I would go down the beach to hide myself from them."

Squall paused for a while and then continued, "Then there came the day when I met a stranger. She was the same age as me but I didn't know her. She looked cute, I guess but she has that unique aura around her. She stayed with me that day and I felt a connection between us. I don't know Rinoa. I guess I was just dreaming back then but it felt so real. She gave me hope. Hope that I would see Sis again. But then, she too left. The day she left, I never felt so alone anymore since I felt this intense feeling that we would meet again.

When I was eight years old, they transferred us to Balamb Garden to train us to become SeeDs. I first learned how to use the gunblade that same year and in a short amount of time I became a first-rank gunblader and SeeD. I was thirteen years old when I first killed a person. And I felt… mad."

He looked into his free hand and pictured his hands that were once covered in blood. "That's when I realized the true meaning of my job as a mercenary. I killed a few more others when I got assigned to missions."

"Did you enjoy it?" Rinoa asked.

"Not one bit. But that's how it should be. That's my job. I never killed for pleasure," Squall assured her and continued to his story.

"At the time when I was fifteen I finally met my father, who was the President of Esthar, at a gathering in Garden where he introduced himself to me."

"Did you two talk to each other?" Rinoa asked.

"I wouldn't consider it as talking since I refused to hear his explanations but he said he wanted to make it up to me. He sent his friend Kiros, who has a connection in the showbiz industry, talked to me and Cid and asked if I would want a break from my SeeD duties. Cid agreed saying that it would be good for me to take another specialization but he told me that I am still a SeeD and welcome to Balamb Garden anytime.

And from there, Kiros became my manager. Acting was a difficult job. You have little time for yourself and your fans scream whenever they see you. I was named Leo to protect my privacy and only the people in Garden know my real name.

I was paired up with an actress named Tifa Lockheart. Our love team was so famous a year after and because of that our managers wanted us to become a couple for real. Having no choice, we were in a loveless relationship. It was a cheap thing for me actually since it's like something to fool the public. Then, we broke up one day and I was given a break from shooting and that's when I met you."

Rinoa knew that what he said was enough for her to understand everything about him.

_So sad… He went through so much. Even in his childhood he was always alone. Wait, he was from an orphanage. A flower field… _She stopped walking and looked at the sky. "Squall, do you believe that those people who are under the same sky would meet for a reason?"

He looked at her inquisitively and nodded. "I do. Why do you ask?"

Rinoa looked back at Squall and he could've sworn that he saw her eyes sparkle with delight.

She let go of his hand, knelt down at the sand and decided that it was fair to share her own past. "When I was five years old, my mother died. She was a famous singer back then. Ever since then, I lived with my father. My father became a totally different person when mom died. He refuses to eat with me during meal times and hardly talks to me. He restricts me from going out of our house and kept me locked inside."

As she bent down on the sand, she picked up a small pink shell and stood up in front of Squall. She handed it to him, "Pretty, isn't it?"

Squall, amused by her actions took the shell from her hands and examined it on his palm. "Yeah."

"I used to collect them when I was small. My mother loved the beach so we often pick up some of the shells buried in the sand," she explained.

"Rinoa, can I ask you a question?" Squall asked as he put the shell in his pocket. "How did you end up in Balamb if you were from Deling?"

Rinoa giggled at Squall's curiosity about her. "I left my dad in Deling. I was so fed up with his rules and so I left."

She looked at the ocean again. "But there's another reason…"

Squall looked at her and decided against his will to ask her. And so he patiently waited for her to speak.

"I'm looking for someone…." Rinoa said as she looked over to Squall.

"Who?"

"I don't know. He was always in my dreams and maybe in my memories. You see Squall, when I was young I think I've been into a field of flowers." She paused, wondering if she was making sense or not.

_No… It's not a dream. I've been into a field of flowers! But… it can't be. There's a boy there, he was with me. Under the stars we promised. No… it can't be… Squall is…_

"Rin, you alright?" Squall moved closer to her.

"Squall… I've been there!" She suddenly said. "The orphanage, the field, and the beach I've been there."

_What? She's been there? How? When? _Squall thought. _That girl… Can she be…? _"Rinoa…" he started. _The girl in my dreams, those dreams were real! That was us!_

_Squall, do you believe that those people who are under the same sky would meet for a reason_? Her question earlier made sense to him now.

Walking closer to her, Squall took both of her hands. "It was you… It was you all along."

Rinoa felt tears on her eyes and in an instant she was pulled into a tight embrace. "Squall… It's me. I'm here."

All these years of longing to find and meet the stranger whom he just met once long ago was finally fulfilled. The girl that was visiting him in his dreams at night was Rinoa all along.

"Thank you for sharing your past Squall," Rinoa said as she gently pulled away from his embrace to look at him straight in the eyes.

As she looked into his eyes, it was filled with emotions that she had not seen for a long while. It was of happiness, contentment, longing and sadness.

Squall gently put his hands on her cheek to wipe away her tears and kissed her on the forehead. Now placing his hand on the back of her neck, he filled the gap between them and sealed their lips with a kiss.

When they both pulled away from the kiss, Squall once again embraced her.

Rinoa leaned her head on his shoulder, arms around his neck.

Squall put his arm around her back and the other was caressing her hair. They both closed their eyes and savored the moment with each other.

Just then, a shooting star flashed on the heavens.

_Wishes do come true…_Squall thought. _Rinoa, I've never believed in miracles until I met you._

* * *

A/N: Okay! That's it… End of Chapter 15! How'd you guys liked it? Comments? Suggestions? Let me know what you think when you leave a review, alright? I hope thay you're still keeping up with my story and if ever you're getting lost in the story, just tell me. oki?Ü

Sorry it took so long. And yeah, Happy Valentine's Day to all even though it was yesterday. Ü

Thank you everyone for all of the reviews. They were highly appreciated.

And this fic is not yet close to ending. There's more to come…

Until next time!Ü

Take Care everyone.

14-Lady-Rinoa-14


	16. The Coming Back

**Chapter 16: The Coming Back**

_**"People who have gone away always comes back"

* * *

**_

"We're here," said Squall as he parked his car at the parking lot of Balamb Garden. It was nearly midnight and the Garden was silent except for the sounds made by the crickets.

Finding no reply from his companion, he looked over to the person sitting beside him at the passenger seat and smiled.

Squall stepped out of the car, walked towards the door of his companion and opened it. He almost knelt down to the ground so that his face was at the same level as she was.

Rinoa had her eyes closed and was drifting off into a peaceful slumber.

_She looks so peaceful,_ Squall said to himself. He watched her for a long while, never taking his eyes off her. He looked at her sleeping form, just sitting that is, and he felt something stir in him.

Watching her intently with gentle eyes, he remembered what happened to them earlier that night at the beach.

_It all happened so fast,_ he thought. At first he couldn't explain the emotions that he felt the moment he knew that Rinoa was the one that he met a long time ago.

All the longing in his heart was washed away and was replaced with contentment. He could still recall the smile that Rinoa showed and the happiness in her eyes which made him even gladder.

But that moment didn't last long as Squall announced that his vacation was over and that he have to resume his acting the day after.

For a while, Rinoa faked a smile but Squall could see the disappointment in her eyes. Just when that they've finally found each other, he had to spend all his time back into his acting career.

He pulled her into a warm embrace once more and asked her if she would want to spend the night in Garden so that he can be with her before he starts his shooting.

Rinoa only nodded and returned his hug.

Squall shook his head to rid of the memory, to rid of the memory to where he saw Rinoa upset.

Still looking at the young woman in front of him, he slowly tucked a few strands of hair behind her left ear with his right hand. His hand then slowly moved and landed on her rosy cheek. _It's warm, _he thought.

_She's an angel… She's MY angel, _he smiled to himself. _There's something more to her that meets the eye. This feeling… It's really different, it's the first time that I've felt this. I feel that I…. I want her to be happy. I would do anything for her… I would protect her from everything that will try to hurt her. I would always be there for her as she was with me…_

"Rinoa," her name came out of his lips softly. He sighed and tried to ask himself what really made him to feel that way about her.

He slowly traced the outline of her face and took notice of how beautiful she looked.

The young woman stirred and Squall immediately withdrew his hand before his angel would realize what he was doing.

Rinoa opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times to clear her vision. She looked down at the person kneeling in front of her, "Where are we?"

"Balamb Garden," he replied.

"Oh," was all she said as she leaned back on her chair, "Squall?"

"Hm?" not taking his eyes off her.

"What were you doing before I woke up?" she asked suspiciously as she looked at Squall with a playful look on her face, "Were you trying to kill me in my sleep?"

"Whatever," he rolled his eyes, "Actually, I was just about to wake you up and nothing else."

"Right," Rinoa said with sarcasm.

"Whatever, come on. Let's go inside," he offered changing the subject.

"Alright, but don't think that you're off the hook Mr. Leonhart," she said stepping out of the car, "I still want an explanation on why I felt something really warm touch my face."

"Oh that," Squall hung his head as they began to walk towards the dormitories, "Whatever."

"You know, your vocabulary won't improve when the only word you use is 'Whatever'," Rinoa teased.

"Ha ha. Funny," Squall replied sarcastically.

When they reached the door of Squall's room, a door not far away open and a young woman who had long black hair and brown eyes stepped out.

She was beautiful and was almost alike with Rinoa. Her long black hair reached up to the middle of her back, her skin was pale, she had brown eyes but was a bit taller than Rinoa.

The woman was wearing a white bath robe and slowly walked towards the couple who was standing outside, two doors away from hers.

Approaching the couple, she tapped the shoulder of the young man who faced her with his blue eyes.

"Hi Squall, long time no see," said the young woman with a smile.

"Tifa! How are you? When did you get here?" Squall gave her a short friendly hug and smiled.

_Who is she? She's really pretty. She might be a friend of Squall. She just called him by his real name and only his close companions in Garden called him that. I wonder if they're close. _Rinoa thought. She watched as Squall and the mystery woman, whom he just called Tifa, talk to each other.

"I'm fine. I just arrived this afternoon. My manager and the other staff said that I should stay in Balamb Garden until the film that we're working on is finished. They said that it'd be better to be close to you so that they would know where their stars would be," Tifa explained, "What about you? How are you? You're pretty different today. You're smiling and everything. What happened to you?"

"Nothing's changed, Tifa. By the way, I want you to meet Rinoa," he put his arms around Rinoa's waist and looked down at her.

"Rinoa, this is Tifa. She's my leading lady in this new movie that we're about to make. And Tifa, this is Rinoa. She's also known as Angel in Balamb. She's the one who sang the soundtrack of our new movie," Squall said.

_Oh, so she's an actress. I should really listen to Aya more when she talks about showbiz, _Rinoa extended her hand to the brunette, "Pleased to meet you."

_So, did she change Squall? Squall's totally different today. And he hardly looks at girls, but he's here right now with a woman? _Tifa held Rinoa's hand and they shook hands, "Pleasure."

Tifa looked at Rinoa once more and then back at Squall, "I'll be going to bed now. See you tomorrow Squall… and Rinoa," she said as she went back into her own dorm room.

"Let's go in," Squall offered Rinoa and they went inside his dorm.

Rinoa sat down at Squall's bed. It wasn't her first time to be in his room, she was there before when she also fell asleep when they went to the beach.

Squall fished into his closet for some of his old clothes that should closely fit with his guest. After searching through his clothes, he handed Rinoa a blue shirt with matching blue shorts, "The bathroom's over there," he pointed at the door adjacent to his bed.

Rinoa nodded and went to the bathroom to change. Squall, on the other hand, also changed his clothes. He settled with a white shirt and brown shorts.

Just then, Rinoa stepped out of the bathroom. The blue shirt reached up to her thighs, almost covering the shorts that she was wearing.

She saw Squall sitting at his bed, his eyes to the ground as if he was in deep thought, "Hey," she said softly.

Squall looked at her, "You sleep in my bed."

Rinoa nodded at his offer and sat down on the bed, "Care to join me?"

He smiled at her question and kissed her forehead. They both lay down on the bed Rinoa rested her head on Squall's chest and closed her eyes.

Squall caressed the hair of the woman lying in his arms. He was staring at the ceiling, "Rin…"

"Hm?"

"I… I…" Squall struggled to find the words to be said. Ever since his childhood, he didn't believe in words. He always believed that actions speak louder than words. _How can I tell her how I really feel? Will she even believe me?_

Sensing the uneasiness of her companion, Rinoa lifted her head to lock eyes with Squall.

She leaned closer to him and softly kissed him on the lips, "I know Squall. If you're not ready to say it, then I'm ready to wait for you. I feel the same way."

Stunned. That was what he felt. Squall didn't expect her to sense his uneasiness, nor what he's hiding deep inside of him. _Maybe I really did change. I can't hide things anymore, especially to her._

His angel once again rested her head on his chest and could feel his heartbeat. It was beating so fast and Rinoa could've sworn that she knew what he was about to say.

He waited until her eyes finally closed into a peaceful slumber. Squall put his arm on her back without any hesitation and held her closer. Since when did he even felt the need to ever hold somebody this close? All of these feelings were alien to him and he already knew why…

_I love you, Rinoa…_ And then he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Morning came and the sunlight brightened up the room of Squall Leonhart. 

Rinoa stirred from her sleep and opened her eyes. Feeling nobody with her on the bed, she realized that Squall wasn't beside her anymore.

She stood up on the cold floor and neatly folded the blankets and fixed up the bed. Looking over at the bedside table, she smiled. _Oh Squall…_

There was a bouquet of white roses and a small card attached to it. Picking up the card, she read what it says,

"_Hey Angel, I'm sorry for this is the start of our shooting. I'll see you at dinner. Take care…"_

Putting down the card, she picked up the flowers that were given to her. She inhaled its scent and was instantly relieved, _I never knew that he cared this much. Thank you, Squall._

She changed her clothes and wore the same blue dress that she wore that night. She neatly folded the clothes that she borrowed from Squall.

Picking up the flowers, she inhaled its scent once more before walking out of the room.

Rinoa walked at the corridors of Balamb Garden. Even though she had been there many times already, she still can't help but to appreciate its structure. _It's so much different than Galbadia._

Walking alone, she felt a sudden jolt of loneliness as she was missing Squall already. Just then, a hand gently tapped on her shoulder.

She slightly hoped that it would be Squall who was right behind her but as she turned around, a certain blonde haired man greeted her.

"Hi Cloud," Rinoa greeted.

The blonde smiled at her, "Hey Angel, what are you doing here?" He asked as he took notice of her dress, "What's up?"

Rinoa followed his gaze and thought that it he might make him think that she was too excited to go to a party, "Oh, this, Well I-…"

"It's Squall, right?" Cloud cut her off, "You were with him the whole night, am I right?" His tone of voice turned serious.

"Ah well…" Rinoa couldn't find the words to say. She didn't know how to respond. His tone of voice became totally different as if to say that he's…. Jealous.

_Cloud's jealous of Squall? No, I don't think so. _Rinoa thought.

"Oh. Never mind," voiced Cloud, his seriousness was replaced by a cheerful one, "Come Angel, would you like to join me for breakfast?"

_It won't hurt to just join him, right? _She nodded.

Rinoa sat with the gang, Cloud, Selphie, Irvine, Quistis and Zell for breakfast. She can't help but be amused by all the energy they're producing.

_They're Squall's friends. He must be really lucky to have them around._

When she sat down with them, they all welcomed her with smiling faces. Rinoa was frequently asked about her relationship with Squall and even if she insisted that they're _not_ a couple. Still, they were suspicious.

They must've sensed Rinoa's slight disappointment since Squall's very busy so they just talked and talked trying to avoid the subject that might bring up Squall.

After they have eaten, Rinoa thanked them and stood up, "Thank you guys for everything. But I have to go now, I'll see you some other time."

"Bye Rinny!" Selphie exclaimed, "Remember that if you need anyone to talk to, we're right here! You're welcome here and don't worry too much about Squall, it's still his job to be busy, you know."

Rinoa was touched at their kindness and once again bid them farewell. She was about to walk away when Cloud also stood up, "I'll take you home."

All eyes were focused now on Cloud who happened to be silent for the entire time when his friends were talking about Squall.

"No, it's fine Cloud. Thanks anyway," Rinoa said as she gave them a nod before walking off.

Cloud sat back down to his seat and clenched his fists, _Why do I keep on thinking about her!_

"Ooh Cloud, it's the first time that a woman rejected you!" Irvine teased.

"Shut up," muttered Cloud and walked out of the cafeteria.

* * *

Rinoa walked towards her house, still thinking of Squall and what he might be doing right now. She couldn't help but also think of the woman that she met last night. Her name was Tifa. _Squall mentioned her that she was his ex- girlfriend. I wonder if she did have feelings towards him._

Her thoughts were interrupted as she saw a man standing just outside the door of her house.

The man was wearing a long grey trench coat and his back was turned towards her.

As she took a step closer, the man turned around to face her and smiled, "Hi Rinoa."

Rinoa's eyes widened but felt relieves, "Seifer."

* * *

A/N: Yipee! I updated at last!Ü So, how was it? Now, I finally decided to bring back Seifer. Ü 

Thanks for the long wait everyone and also thank you for your continuous support. Ü

Until next time… Take care!Ü

Lady-Rinoa


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